Robert Saleh

Robert Saleh (born January 31, 1979) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He has previously coached linebackers for the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

Early years
Saleh was born in Dearborn, Michigan and is a 1997 graduate of Fordson High School. He attended Northern Michigan University from 1998 to 2002, where he earned a degree in finance and was a four-year starter, earning all-conference honors as a tight end.

College
Saleh began his coaching career at the collegiate level in 2002. He spent four years working as a defensive assistant with Michigan State University (2002–03), Central Michigan University (2004) and the University of Georgia (2005).

Houston Texans
In 2005, Saleh was hired as an intern with the Houston Texans, working with the defensive unit. In February 2006, he was retained in Gary Kubiak's staff as a defensive quality control coach under defensive coordinator Richard Smith. In January 2009, he was promoted to assistant linebackers coach.

Seattle Seahawks
In February 2011, Saleh was hired as the defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll. He spent three seasons with the Seahawks, including their 2013 championship season when they defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Following the Seahawks' championship, Saleh was named linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars under head coach Gus Bradley.

San Francisco 49ers
On February 13, 2017, Saleh was named defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Coaching tree
NFL head coaches under whom Robert Saleh has served:


 * Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans (2006–2010)
 * Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks (2011–2013)
 * Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars (2014–2016)
 * Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers (2017–present)

Personal life
Saleh and his wife, Sanaa, have four sons and two daughters. Following the Super Bowl victory, Saleh’s hometown of Dearborn honored him with a key to the city and a proclamation for his achievements.