Fellow HC Says Titans' Robert Saleh is Among Best in NFL

The Tennessee Titans hiring Robert Saleh made one round of waves upon its announcement, followed soon thereafter by subsequent, bigger crashes as Saleh built a staff and renewed roster around him to properly fit the team's rebuilding bill.

It's a long way until the fall; Tennessee has a draft to (hopefully) nail and a number of personnel moves and shakeouts that likely still must find their way before kickoff. But, for the time, it'd be hard not to be thrilled as a Titans fan.

If Saleh's own moves in the driver's seat aren't enough to awaken a long-dormant crowd, the words of San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan (in an interview with Jim Wyatt) should do the trick.

Redeeming a Sour Situation

"I'm not that happy – I [didn't] want to lose him," Shanahan began in jest, mourning the loss of his former, revered defensive coordinator. "I was real happy for Robert," he continued. "Robert deserves to be a head coach – he is one of the better coaches in this league. I thought he got a raw deal the first time."

Not only has Saleh himself ruminated on the unfortunate nature of his previous run with the New York Jets, but now, another coach sounds off on what seems to be widely viewed as a situation beyond Saleh's control. The plan, of course, is to right those wrongs in Nashville this time around.

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"It looks like he is in a good situation [in Tennessee]," Shanahan went on. "We hated losing him with the 49ers. But I'm real happy for him and [his wife] Sanaa, and I know he's going to do a hell of a job in Tennessee."

Saleh, at least according to his former running mate, has all the tools to be successful in the NFL's most important coaching position. What is perhaps more important for him, though, is that the Titans equip him with all the resources he needs to really turn things around.

Properly Equipping Saleh

With Cam Ward situated firmly at the center of a team much improved through free agency this offseason, not to mention the roomiest cap space in the league, Saleh has seemingly been given everything he needs to win from the very start.

Of course, the remaining gaps come down to whether or not Saleh is effective as the leading man. That's the most important question that simply can't be answered until his team kicks off.

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