The Jets have reached an agreement for Robert Saleh, the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, to become their next head coach, the team announced Thursday, and — if all goes well — to lead the team out of a stupor that has left it without a postseason appearance and as the butt of a running joke for the past decade.
Saleh, 41, who is of Lebanese descent, is believed to be the first Muslim Arab American head coach of an N.F.L. team.
With him and his 16 years of N.F.L. coaching experience at the helm, the Jets hope to end a 10-year postseason drought, most recently extended by Adam Gase, whom they let go after the team had a dismal two-win season and the worst offense in the league in 2020.