It’s officially official: Robert Saleh is the head coach of the New York Jets.
While the team announced it had reached an agreement in principle with Saleh on Jan. 14, Saleh has now signed his contract to formalize his standing with the organization as its 20th head coach.
“After a thorough process and meeting with a number of talented coaches, it was clear to us that Robert was the right person to help us move forward,” Jets chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “He is a collaborative leader with proven success in the NFL. In addition to his work as a coach on this level, his passion and knowledge of the game along with his vision for establishing an identity for this team sold me. It was also clear that he will partner with Joe [Douglas] to help foster and develop the winning culture we are striving to establish. For us as a group, we were impressed with the way he commanded the space and his ability to communicate his vision throughout the process.”
Jets G.M. Joe Douglas said in a statement that the team “spoke to some tremendous coaches, but Rob is the right partner and leader for us. His vision for this team aligns with what we have been working to establish here the last two years.”
New York interviewed nine candidates virtually, and met with two candidates in person: Saleh and now-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
“There are no shortcuts to success, and I am committed to working with Joe to build this team the right way: with talented players that play fast and smart, and a staff that supports and helps develop them through it all,” Saleh said in a statement. “To Jets fans, your passion and commitment are priceless. I understand your expectations and embrace them. We have a lot of work to do and can’t do it without your support.”