The New York Jets have announced they reached an agreement in principle to hire Lebanese-American Robert Saleh, setting him on the path to become the first Muslim head coach in American football history, Anadolu Agency reports.
The team announced the yet-to-be-finalized agreement in a statement on Thursday.
Saleh had been the San Francisco 49ers defense coordinator for the past four seasons, overhauling the team’s once unimpressive defense and turning it into a formidable behemoth.
“Congrats to Coach Saleh and his family. @nyjets you got a great coach and an even better person,” 49ers kicker Robbie Gould said on Twitter.
Saleh was born in Dearborn, Michigan, a major hub of Arab-American life. He is of Lebanese descent.
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