Robert Saleh received a message for the Jets players on Thursday: he will be pedaling to the metal around his team.
“Get used to the mantra: all gas, no brakes,” Saleh said during his introductory press conference on Zoom. “When we talk about all the gases and without brakes, we are not talking about efforts on the ground. We talk about the process by which we do things. We talk about how we prepare, about how we wake up every morning, about how we rehabilitate, about how we communicate, about how we talk to each other. ”
Saleh, 41, spoke about his vision for the Jets a week after agreeing to become the team’s new head coach. He did not beat the table or guarantee Lombardi’s trophies, but he sent a clear message about what is expected and how he expects to achieve them. There will be no memes to mock him after this press conference.
“We have a lot of work to do, but let’s not be mistaken that our goal is to win championships,” Saleh said.
The Jets hired Saleh after interviewing at least nine candidates. The team practically spoke to him first and then had him in a personal interview a few days later in New Jersey. The Brass team heard brilliant reviews about Saleh before meeting him and then was impressed when they spoke to him.
“When we met with Robert, we were amazed at his presence,” said team CEO and CEO Christopher Johnson. “He showed the ability to interact with us in a virtual interview. He also clearly communicated a vision of this team that aligns with ours. When we met in person, he validated everything we thought after our initial meeting. Robert demonstrated through his journey here that he is a leader, one who will hire the entire team and be a partner. [general manager] Joe [Douglas] to continue to build the culture of a winning organization.
“His character and passion are what this team needs.”
Saleh takes over a team that has been one of the worst in the NFL in recent years. The Jets have the longest drought in the NFL playoffs in 10 seasons. They had five years to lose. The team went 2-14 in 2020. Now, Saleh will be the last coach to try to turn the Jets into winners.
“It will take time, but everything we do will be designed to win championships in the future,” said Saleh, who has spent the past four seasons as 49ers defensive coordinator. “When we talk about all the gases, without the brakes and that mentality, waking us up in the morning, putting your foot on the pedal and having this mentality, go to bed again better than you woke up. This is the mentality we will have and we are very confident that it will lead to championships. ”
Douglas said Saleh ticked all the Jets tapes, which highlighted the leadership in this search. Looks like the Jets also ticked a lot of boxes for Saleh. Saleh, originally from Michigan, interviewed six of the seven teams that had jobs in this cycle. But he said he felt a real connection to Johnson, Douglas and team president Hymie Elhai when they met.
“I felt at home,” Saleh said. “I felt like I was coming home talking to my high school friends. It’s home. ”
Saleh was inspired to go to training after his brother, David, escaped from the South Tower on September 11th. Saleh realized he couldn’t wait to pursue his coaching dream. He sees a greater meaning for him now becoming the Jets coach.
“I should be here and I believe that,” Saleh said. “God does things for a reason, and I think that’s one of them.”
To be a leader of the whole team, Saleh will not call the defensive games. He will leave defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who comes to Jets from Falcons. Adam Gase has often been criticized for being too focused on crime. Saleh believes that the greatness of the pieces will release him for other tasks.
“Being able to focus on all aspects of a game, maintain our vision and maintain the standard we play at is kind of the role that I see as a head coach,” Saleh said.
Saleh said he addressed each Jets player via text messages and heard from some of them via text messages and calls and met a few who were receiving medical treatment at the Jets headquarters.
He stressed how integral his relations with the players will be.
“I think coaches to invest in players should be the equivalent of the investment you put into your children,” said Saleh, the father of six, with another child on the road. “You have to invest everything you have in your heart and soul in those players, because they rely on you to help them be the best graduates so that they can show off their skills on Sunday.”