Most of Mike McDaniel's presser yesterday was spent answering questions about Tua Tagovailoa and their concussion protocols in Miami, and rightfully so, as it's probably the biggest NFL news story right now.
But at the end of his presser, with a match up with the Jets and Robert Saleh on tap this Sunday, McDaniel was asked if he had any good stories about Saleh seeing as the two have worked together at a few different stops including with the Texans and most recently the 49ers, and McDaniel didn't disappoint.
Most coaches starting off in the profession, especially those who got their start in college or higher, have stories about the sacrifices they had to make early on in their careers with things like sleeping on a futon mattress in their office, or living off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or the McDonalds Dollar Menu (when things like the McDouble were actually $1).
Well, McDaniel used a rather description to portray Saleh when the two first met with the Houston Texans.
"Well, he was a squatter when he first got the job in Houston...which was hilarious," McDaniel opened by sharing.
"So I came with Gary Kubiak, and Troy Calhoun from the Broncos and at Houston we had an office, and there was one guy in there when I got there, and it was Robert Saleh. He hadn't been terminated and he had been working with Dom Capers [on the previous staff], I think he had like two more weeks of pay or something."
"He did an excellent job of just forcing his hand, getting face time with the head coach. He just sat in there all week. I think I go there on Tuesday and he just sat across from me awkwardly in this room...and he just waited there until like Friday, when he barged in and told [Kubiak], 'Hey, I really want to work for you.'"
"There are a lot of those stop-gaps at the beginning of Robert Saleh's career. Always a sponge. Always unbelievably smart."
McDaniel goes on to share a story about problems they'd have with their printer trying to print Visio documents, and Saleh would crack open the thick user manual instead of calling IT to find the solution himself.
"He's never been given anything. Just like he wasn't given the job with Gary Kubiak in 2006. I think when he went to San Fransico in 2017 it was under the impression that he would be the linebackers coach, and he asked to interview for the defensive coordinator spot."
Saleh not only got the interview, but impressed Kyle Shanahan enough to be named defensive coordinator back in 2017. A few years there helping to build up the once-proud franchise, and Saleh got his first head coaching opportunity with the Jets in 2021. He went 4-13 in his first season, and sits at 2-2 heading into his match up with McDaniel on Sunday.
"Long story short, he's never been given anything, and when he's been given an opp, he's taken advantage of it."
Saleh's story of perseverance through his early struggles in the coaching profession is both inspiring and impressive.
Hear that story, and more from McDaniel below.