The NFL coaching carousel is spinning quickly, as the Tennessee Titans have reportedly hired San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be the team’s next head coach. At least one NFL insider thinks the Titans’ choosing Saleh was inspired by the success of a different head coach.
The Mike Vrabel Effect Is in Full Action
Saleh was a bit of a surprise choice in Tennessee, as conventional wisdom would have led you to believe they were likely to choose an offense-minded head coach to pair with last year’s top overall pick, Cam Ward.
Instead, news broke early Tuesday morning that the former 49ers’ defensive coordinator and New York Jets head coach was going to be their choice. The focus was more on the organization’s culture than on a single side of the football.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated chimed in, saying this was close to the Mike Vrabel hire in New England.
He wrote on X, “This is in some ways the Mike Vrabel effect – The Titans were looking for someone who could bring real presence and a new energy to the building, and combine that with good fundamental coaching.”
This is in some ways the Mike Vrabel effect—The Titans were looking for someone who could bring real presence and a new energy to the building, and combine that with good fundamental coaching.
That’s Saleh to a T, and illustrates how he emerged as a favorite over the last week. https://t.co/jgXhANwYja
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 20, 2026
That’s Saleh to a T, and illustrates how he emerged as a favorite over the last week.
The New England Patriots had been wandering in the darkness in the wake of Tom Brady’s exit from the organization and suffered back-to-back four-win seasons under two different head coaches.
Last offseason, the Patriots hired Vrabel as their third coach in three seasons, after Jerod Mayo’s one-year blunder led to his dismissal at the end of his first season. He became the 16th coach in franchise history.
373 days later, Vrbael is the longest tenured head coach in the AFC East, and his team is favored to win the AFC Championship in Denver to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018. Vrabel is beloved by his players, and the New England culture of grit and toughness was on full display during their Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans.
Having a great quarterback helps, too, and Drake Maye is undoubtedly one of those. He is ranked 2nd with an impact score of 91.1 on the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics.
In Tennessee, the hope is that Saleh can build a culture that has been successful in both of his stints as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
ALSO READ: Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Reveals HC Mike Vrabel’s Massive Impact Since Arriving in New England
He was 20-36 with the Jets and was let go midway through the 2024 season when their run with Aaron Rodgers never got off the ground. The Jets were one of the worst teams in football this year and finished with three wins.
Remarkably, the Jets went through an entire season registering only 7 interceptions. Given his popularity during this coaching cycle, his stint with the Jets was not held against him. Saleh’s teams in New York were often challenging and competitive, but simply undermanned at the quarterback position.
Zach Wilson never panned out as a former number two overall pick. Aaron Rodgers was injured in his first series with the Jets and spent most of 2024 finding his footing from the injury.
Saleh’s return to San Francisco came after a stint in Green Bay, where he helped Matt LaFluer on the offensive side of the ball as he rehabbed his coaching. He spent most of this season making chicken salad out of lemons, with his defense suffering one injury after another, including to star linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Jeffery Simmons.
Saleh will not start over in Tennessee with some key pieces, including Cam Ward on offense and Jeffery Simmons on defense. The Titans are certainly hoping he can lead a Vrabel-esque turnaround in Tennessee, who have not made the playoffs since they fired…. Vrabel.
