On Monday, the surprising announcement came: Mike McCarthy was out as the Cowboys’ leader. Just 48 hours later, the first interview for the vacancy was made official, with former Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh being scheduled.
Along with the official interest in Saleh, the Cowboys sought permission to interview Seahawks coach Leslie Frazier, though he is not considered a serious contender.
Saleh, however, has been a hot commodity this offseason. The Jaguars and Raiders want to interview him for their top job, while his old team, the 49ers, want him back as defensive coordinator.
Former #Jets coach Robert Saleh is expected to interview with the #Cowboys for their HC vacancy, source confirms. No date set yet. Saleh already has interviewed with the Jaguars and has the Raiders coming up. Also talked with the 49ers about their DC vacancy.
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) January 15, 2025
For a guy who was fired just months ago by New York, he sure isn’t being treated like a guy who failed as a head coach.
This is because many view Saleh as having received the short end of a bad stick with the Jets, while actually being a strong coach. This is precisely what makes him a serious contender in Dallas, and what makes us ask, will he become the next head coach of the Cowboys?
Defensive Master: Robert Saleh’s Pros
If there is one thing you cannot argue about Robert Saleh, it is his defensive prowess.
As the defensive coordinator in San Francisco, Saleh created the dominant defense that propelled Kyle Shanahan’s team to consistent success. His defense there finished in the top five in each of his final two seasons.
That dominant performance, and Super Bowl appearance, is what got him in the door with the Jets in the first place.
We’ll talk about the negatives of Saleh’s Jets tenure in a moment, but you can’t throw out the good with the bad. He made the defense there fantastic, no doubt about it.
Since the 2021 season, Robert Saleh's first in New York, the Jets defense is
1st in points per drive
1st in EPA per play
3rd in success rate…despite playing the fourth-most snaps over that stretch.
Saleh never solved the QB problem, but man. He delivered on defense.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) October 8, 2024
The Jets finished second, third, and fourth in his final three seasons before being fired in October of this year. Simply put, it is hard to find somebody with such a proven track record of defensive success without a job.
If Dallas hired him as the next head coach, they’d be hiring a defensive mastermind that could bring the hard-nosed culture Cowboys fans have been dying for.