Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has expressed confidence that his defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, would do well in any head coaching job interview. Saleh interviewed the Detroit Lions on Thursday, a job for which many consider him a favorite. An NFL insider suggests that a particular interview may not have gone as well as Shanahan expected or Saleh hoped.
“Saleh didn’t do very well in the Detroit interview, I was told. And it’s not shoo-in to get the job,” said Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle during a radio interview with Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler. from SportsTalk 790 (via Detroit Sports Nation, h / t to Patrick Tulini).
There is a lot to interpret from the statement. Did the interview not go well because Saleh doesn’t necessarily fit what the Lions’ brain confidence is looking for or envisioning for their club? Or interviewed Saleh poorly, which may seem less likely to some.
However, there is a conflicting report stating that the interview went well.
“According to a well-placed source, the Detroit Lions interview with 49ers’ defense coordinator Robert Saleh went ‘great’. The Lions have yet to make an offer, ” said Jeff Les of 97.1 The Ticket (again via Detroit Sports Nation).
Dave Birkett, a beat writer for the Detroit Free Press, also stated that the Lions’ interview with Saleh was not as awful as Wilson suggests.
Many of you asked about Robert Saleh this morning. The feedback I got was that his interview with the Lions went well, that they liked his presentation and potential collaborators.
– Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) January 9, 2021
Saleh has participated in three interviews so far. He also interviewed the Atlanta Falcons on Monday and the New York Jets on Friday. The coach will speak with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. The only team with a head-coaching vacancy that hasn’t reached the 49ers over Saleh is the Houston Texans.
Meanwhile, head coach Kyle Shanahan expects to be completely without Saleh.
“I was really happy with what he was doing all year round,” Shanahan said after losing 49ers Week 17 to the Seattle Seahawks. “I would be very surprised if we don’t lose him. I don’t know what’s wrong with people if they don’t hire him. I mean he’s as good as you can, and he knows more about football, all three stages, and he’s going to hire the best staff, knows about players, he knows what they’re talking about, who doesn’t know what they’re talking about, and he also knows how to deal with people. ”
On Monday, John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers general manager, confirmed that three teams have officially requested an interview with defense coordinator Robert Saleh. They are the Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Jacksonville Jaguars. While the first two were already known, the last was not. However, the interest of the Jaguars is not unexpected. Saleh is becoming a popular name as NFL teams with head coaching vacancies want to fill these roles. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Saleh would interview the Lions on Thursday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had previously said that his
The Detroit Lions have announced that the team has completed its head coach interview with San Francisco 49ers defense coordinator Robert Saleh. #Lions have completed a Head Coach interview with the following candidate: pic.twitter.com/djbwQtq2JK— Detroit Lions (@Lions) Jan 7,
Robert Saleh’s interview watch has officially started. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers will conduct a virtual interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Saleh will interview the Detroit Lions on Thursday. The Lions plan to interview Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy today, interim coach Darrell Bevell on Tuesday and 49ers DC Robert Saleh on Thursday for their HC position, I’m told.