Robert Saleh is glad to be away from at least one part of head coaching duty.
The former Jets coach, now returned to his previous role as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, said on Thursday that he’s pleased “not having to handle all the administrative tasks that come with being a head coach” and can concentrate on coaching football.
“The perspective, and that’s what was exciting about coming back. Being in a building where I was once a coordinator and now having a global view,” Saleh mentioned. “There’s a lot of empathy now in understanding what [49ers coach] Kyle [Shanahan] is going through and trying to assist him as much as I can.”
Saleh, who managed a 20-36 record over his tenure with the Jets before being dismissed after a 2-3 start last season, said there was no other place he wanted to be but San Francisco, where he previously served as defensive coordinator for four seasons prior to accepting the Jets’ position.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for this organization. Obviously starting at the top, [owner] Jed [York] is phenomenal. But Kyle, his family, [GM] John [Lynch], they gave me so much,” Saleh said.
“During the first two years, you think about those first two years as D coordinator, ’17 and ’18, it wasn’t easy. And it could’ve been very easy for them to move on from me. I’m indebted to this organization, those me for the rest of my life. They stuck with me, made it happen, did what we needed to do and the rest is history. I’m excited about the opportunity to get a chance to do it again.”
Saleh’s defense helped lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2020 before he was hired in New York. His Jets tenure, however, never quite got on track.
For the first two years, the club struggled to try and develop Zach Wilson before finally appearing to move on when it brought in Aaron Rodgers in 2023.
That experiment, though, turned out to be an unmitigated disaster. Rodgers tore his Achilles in his first appearance with the Jets, and when healthy last season, looked more like a 40-plus-year-old quarterback than a former MVP.
Constant off-field distractions dotted the quarterback’s time in New York as well, and Saleh was unceremoniously fired after the Jets dropped their Week 5 game in London against Minnesota.
“You learn a lot. I’ve said it before, there is no handbook for a first-time head coach, there’s no handbook for first time going through life,” Saleh said. “You learn a lot through the process, you figure out a lot about yourself, you understand and pick up if you look inward and looking the mirror, you can identify some of the things you did wrong, some of the things you like to do differently.
“Anytime you get an experience that’s different than the ones you’ve always experienced, you have an opportunity to grow. So there’s been a lot of self reflection and growth in that regard.”
