NFL

Jets Make History, Hiring Robert Saleh to Become NFL's 1st Muslim Head Coach

The San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator designed one of pro football's most elite units

In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh of the San Francisco 49ers looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The New York Jets hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be their new head coach, making him the first Muslim to run an NFL sideline, the team announced Thursday night.

"We've reached an agreement in principle with Robert Saleh to become our head coach," the Jets said in a statement.

Saleh has spent the past four years in Santa Clara, California, transforming the 49ers' defense from a onetime laughingstock to one of football's most elite units.

Before Saleh, 41, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, was hired by the Jets, no Muslim had ever been an NFL head coach, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, a Muslim civil rights advocacy group.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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