Late in the night, the Tennessee Titans hired their next franchise head coach, Robert Saleh. Tennessee became the fourth team this offseason to hire a head coach, and making the move before other teams secure their coaches was important. With Saleh now leading the Titans in the AFC South, an interesting story has emerged related to last year’s coaching search.
A Divisional Rivalry Becomes Even More Personal
In 2024, after being fired by the New York Jets, Saleh joined the Green Bay Packers later that season as an offensive consultant. When the offseason finally arrived, Saleh was a popular name floated in many coaching searches, specifically for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Saleh was deep in the running for Jacksonville’s head coach position, but in the end, they went with then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers OC Liam Coen. This ended up working out for the Jaguars, who finished 13-4, but for Saleh, Jacksonville’s decision was extremely disappointing.
Last year, the Jags narrowed their choices down to Liam Coen and Robert Saleh. They spent hours with both and chose the former. Saleh, devastated, accepted the news and went to SF. This year, he had eyes on Titans job. He and Nagy spent today interviewing… and it was HIS time.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 20, 2026
When Saleh went to the San Francisco 49ers, he proved again why he could be an excellent defensive coordinator in the NFL, but there was no doubt he wished he were an NFL HC in 2025.
Obviously, the Jaguars’ decision to go with Coen was the right one, but as NFL insider Peter Schrager explained, Saleh was “devastated” by it. That must have been excellent motivation when coaching the 49ers’ defense this past season, and may also have been a reason why he wanted to become the Titans HC.
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Now with Saleh coaching a team in the AFC South, he has a chance to get some revenge. If you didn’t know, the Jaguars are also in the AFC South, so now Saleh will be facing off against the team that chose the other guy.
Focusing on the Titans, they make this hire with some hope they can turn the team around, similar to what the Jaguars did. Time will tell if that happens, but one thing is guaranteed: When these two teams meet next season, it’s going to be a game with tensions through the roof. This may be a top rivalry in the NFL for years to come.
