Belmont Reacts to Tennessee Titans Head Coaching Hire

Belmont Vision MultiMedia. (Nick Rampe)

The Tennessee Titans hired their man to lead a much-needed fresh start.

The team officially hired former New York Jets head coach and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to a five-year deal to become the team’s new head coach on Jan. 22.

“He’s a really solid defensive mind and very connected. I think he’ll be able to put together a good staff,” said Paul Kuharsky, Titans beat reporter and adjunct professor of journalism at Belmont.

Saleh already began building his staff, hiring former Giants head coach Brian Daboll to be the Titans’ offensive coordinator on Tuesday. He’ll look guide second-year quarterback Cam Ward, whom Daboll was interested in while on the Giants.

“I think they had a plan for Cam Ward, because the Giants wanted to trade up with the Titans to get Cam Ward,” said Kuharsky, referring to the 2025 draft.

One of Saleh’s biggest focuses will be building a team around Ward that is good enough to compete and allow him to fulfill his potential.

“The biggest problem with this team isn’t Cam Ward; it’s the team around him. If Saleh can help put a better team around him and make him the focal point, then I think the Titans have a chance,” said Dylan Ellington, a Titans fan and Belmont freshman. 

The Titans have finished with back-to-back 3-14 seasons; tied for the worst record in the NFL each of the last two years. Saleh will look to break this bad stretch.

While some fans are optimistic for a quick turnaround, others need to see success quickly.

“I’d say at bare minimum, better than this past year. But to be successful, top two in the AFC South,” said sophomore Mark Morgan, a lifelong Titans fan.

Parallels have been drawn between Saleh and a familiar face in Tennessee who is now thriving in a new state.

Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, now head coach of the New England Patriots, brought his new team from a 4-13 record last season to a Super Bowl appearance this year. He was fired by Tennessee just two seasons ago after back-to-back losing seasons.

“It gives them back a bit of that Vrabel energy, which they certainly didn’t get from Callahan,” said Kuharsky. 

Brian Callahan, the previous head coach of the Titans, went just 4-19 with the team before being fired six weeks into the 2025 season.

Saleh, like Vrabel, has head coaching experience. He also led some of the top defenses in the NFL while being the defensive coordinator for the 49ers and head coach for the Jets. 

In 2022, Saleh's first year in New York, his team allowed just 18.6 points per game, significantly lower than the 29.6 points per game the season prior.

In their first full season without Saleh, the Jets ranked 31st of 32 teams in points allowed and did not record an interception, the only NFL team to do so since the league began recording interceptions in 1933.

“When you see what he’s done in San Francisco with the 49ers, their defense has been great. I think defensively, he’s solid, and he has connections too,” said Morgan.

The Titans interviewed a total of 15 candidates during the head coaching process, with Saleh and Matt Nagy being the finalists.

“If we hired Matt Nagy, I would’ve been done,” said Morgan.

The Titans’ fresh start moves beyond the coaches. The team’s new stadium is planned to be completed in 2027, and fans hope these changes will lead to better seasons in the future.

This article was written by Austin Embry