Titans' Robert Saleh Looks Add Unique Role to Defensive Staff

Since hiring Robert Saleh to take over as the team's new head coach, the Tennessee Titans' rapidly evolving identity has developed a strong defensive lean.

Having been one of the most respected, experienced score-stopping minds in the league for a long while, Saleh brings a level of specified expertise that Tennessee has been recently unfamiliar with in hiring coaches for big positions.

Not only will Saleh lead the charge by calling plays on that end of the sideline himself, but a recent report adds that the HC is preparing to bolster the team's defense with an additional guy in a headset.

Adding a Dedicated Nickel Coach

According to Paul Kuharsky, "Robert Saleh plans to hire a nickel coach to work along with cornerback coach Tony Oden and a still-unnamed safeties coach."

It appears that Saleh, with a specialized defensive background himself, will not only call plays on that side of the ball, but add an entirely new layer to the staff in the form of a dedicated coach for the nickelback position.

"It will be the first time the franchise has a nickel coach and has three different coaches overseeing the secondary," Kuharsky added, signaling a serious change on the defensive side of the ball for a franchise under new, arguably more involved leadership.

Robert Saleh plans to add a dedicated nickel coach to the Tennessee #Titans’ staff.https://t.co/Hn1zbzIhpV
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) January 30, 2026

Nickels are primarily tasked with covering sets with three or more receivers, covering the slot receiver and often focusing on shorter, more immediate routes. Few teams in the NFL have a coach solely hired to help out at this position, but it isn't completely unheard of.

As Kuharsky points out, both the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys have a coach assigned to that specific department. The Titans, though doing the exact opposite of following a trend, are committing to a comprehensive, arm-in-arm act on defense with this move.

Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, left, and new head coach Robert Saleh | DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hopeful Results on Defense

If Saleh believes he needs another guy on-staff to make that machine tick, how unorthodox that may be won't matter in the face of hopeful, long-term results.

A big part of Saleh's hire is the promise that he'll bring a steady energy to the defense that hasn't been present in recent years, as the Titans have faltered consistently on both sides of the ball. With hires on offense seeming to take immediate priority, it'll be a little while longer still before the new coach's vision for his preferred unit becomes fully clear.

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