It has been a wild ride for Robert Saleh over the last few seasons. From a rocky run as the head coach of the New York Jets to stellar work as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, he quickly rebuilt his reputation.
Now, as the new head coach of the Tennessee Titans, he has a lot of responsibilities under his belt. But he is already pretty used to having a ton on his plate, as he takes care of eight kids with his wife, Sanaa.
Robert Saleh Doesn’t Think 8 Kids Are Too Much
A tight end during his playing career, Saleh already has over two decades of coaching experience between the collegiate and NFL levels. But before he became a big name in the NFL, Saleh had already found his life partner.
He and his wife Sanaa tied the knot in 2007, although she chooses to remain out of the public spotlight as much as possible. Raised in Dearborn, Michigan, she has a degree in psychology and is the founder of the nonprofit organization Sanaa’s Stars.
Focusing on child sexual abuse survivors, she has had the full support of her husband in her mission. The love between them has been abundantly clear over the years, with the veteran coach going out of his way to give her credit.
A similar situation unfolded this week as he joined “The Schrager Hour” for an interview with ESPN sportscaster Peter Schrager. Talking about the impact Sanaa has on his life, he also spoke about the experience of parenting eight children.
START PREPARING: PFN’s Free Fantasy Draft Simulator
“I have a philosophy that we rip the band-aid off,” Saleh said. “So I got my family here in April. Pulled them out of school, got them in school out here, so that way they can meet some friends and have some people for the summer. My oldest is going into high school for the first time.”
New @titans HC Robert Saleh is the father of EIGHT kids under the age of 15. How’s he make it work?
A SAINT of a wife and a lot of love.
Another city, another job, and the Salehs keep it rocking. Love convos like this.
From this week’s “The Schrager Hour”. @OmahaProd pic.twitter.com/WLDP6R8kds
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) August 21, 2026
When asked about their ages, he revealed, “My oldest is 15. I got six boys and two girls; my oldest is 15, and the baby is 1.”
BE THE GM OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM: PFN’s Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator
However, he believed parenting them had only been made possible because of his wife.
“My wife, I mean, she drove an hour for girls’ soccer, and now she’s got another hour drive for basketball. God bless her, man,” he confessed, before adding, “It’s controlled chaos [in the house with 8 children]. My wife is.. she’s a saint, heart of gold, soft as bread pudding, but boy, that hammer comes down, and those kids are, they are in line.”
Right now, with the second week of the preseason coming up, Saleh is dedicating all of his time and energy to the Titans to get them ready for a new season. But he is able to keep that tunnel vision on football because of Sanaa and her presence in the kids’ lives.
