The Jacksonville Jaguars cast a wide net in their head-coaching search after ousting Doug Pederson early in 2025. While they seemingly set their sights on Ben Johnson, they didn't rule out candidates such as Robert Saleh, who had prior experience for the job during his stint with the New York Jets. In fact, he appeared to be Trent Baalke's top option to fill the team's vacancy before they zeroed in on Liam Coen.
Coen proved to be the right call right off the bat, winning 13 games in his first season at the helm. More importantly, he isn't a one-year wonder, as Jacksonville is 2-1 to start 2026.
Meanwhile, Saleh is off to a rough start to his tenure as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, proving not only that the Jaguars were right to pass on him but also to fire Baalke.
The Jaguars are off to a strong start, while the Titans struggle under Robert Saleh
Tennessee got rave reviews for hiring Robert Saleh as the head coach. After all, he built several stout defenses during his time with the Jets, but the team's ownership routinely bundled the quarterback. In Nashville, he wouldn't have to worry about that, since he would be working with the ascending Cam Ward
Fast forward to Week 3 of the 2026 season, and the Titans are 0-3. Even worse, it doesn't look like they're going to get better anytime soon. Heck, things are so bad that Saleh is being asked about potentially benching Ward.
You could make that Ward's struggles lie with Tennessee offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but Saleh handpicked him to oversee his offense. It's also worth noting that the Titans' issues go beyond offense, and if there are any doubts that Saleh deserves plenty of blame for his team's uninspiring performance, his clock management, or lack thereof, has certainly hurt.
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Trent Baalke would have set the Jaguars back if he had hired Robert Saleh
Of course, things could eventually change, but Robert Saleh's record doesn't precisely inspire confidence. While he enjoyed success as the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, he was 20-36 as the head coach in New York. This makes you wonder why Trent Baalke thought he was the best option to coach the Jaguars.
The truth is that Baalke may not have wanted someone who would challenge him. Throughout his stint with Jacksonville and the Niners, Baalke earned a reputation as someone who was difficult to work with. Similarly, head-coaching candidates actively avoided interviewing with the Jags precisely because of Baalke.
Heck, Byron Leftwich was reportedly set to become the Jaguars head coach after the Urban Meyer debacle but didn't take the job because of Baalke. Running out of options, Jacksonville settled on Doug Pederson, who only lasted three seasons in Duval.
Fortunately, owner Shad Khan was so impressed with Liam Coen, and once he saw that he was at risk of losing Liam Coen, he kicked Baalke to the curb.
Had Baalke had a stronger say in the head coaching hire, there's a strong chance the Jaguars would be struggling with Robert Saleh as their head coach. Fortunately, the Titans are the ones who are finding out the hard way.
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