After parting ways with John Harbaugh, the Baltimore Ravens are absolutely scouring the market to look for their next head coach. They’ve conducted 15 interviews so far, with some big-name former HCs and coordinators in the mix. And their latest interviewee is 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

“We have completed an interview with Robert Saleh for our head coach position,” the Ravens wrote on X.

Saleh is back in San Francisco for his second stint as defensive coordinator after his run with the New York Jets ended. This season, he helped steer the San Francisco 49ers back into the postseason and through a wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Whatever went wrong in New York hasn’t erased his reputation around the league.

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Of course, his season ended on a sour note. The 49ers were overwhelmed in a 41–6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, giving up touchdowns on seven of ten possessions. Still, it’s hard to pin that result on Saleh alone. San Francisco spent the entire year patching things together, and just getting that far was no small accomplishment.

During the regular season, the 49ers had their Week 1 starters on the field for only 57 percent of the combined offensive and defensive snaps. That list includes losing defensive end Nick Bosa to an ACL tear three weeks into the season and linebacker Fred Warner to a dislocated ankle in Week 6. That’s the backdrop Saleh worked against all year.

Moreover, his resume as a coordinator is pretty impressive. Back in 2019, San Francisco finished first in the league in pass defense, second in total defense, and fourth in sacks, riding that unit all the way to the Super Bowl before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs. That group also finished sixth in the NFL with 27 takeaways.

And Saleh isn’t new to the big chair. He spent more than three seasons as head coach of the Jets from 2021 through 2024, finishing 20–36. In that market, with that roster, it’s a record many around the league view with some context.

Still, Baltimore’s net is wide. There are 14 other candidates in play. The Ravens also interviewed Joe Brady on Sunday. Other names tied to the search include Chris Shula, Mike McDaniel, Brian Flores, and Vance Joseph. Robert Saleh, for his part, isn’t short on interest.

He’s already interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins, and he has also spoken with the Ravens and the Tennessee Titans. This one may take some time to sort out.

While the Ravens are taking their time to finalize their next head coach, the former HC didn’t take long to figure out his next destination.

John Harbaugh knew where he wanted to go

After 18 seasons in Baltimore, the Baltimore Ravens decided to move on from John Harbaugh after the team failed to reach the postseason, and with the last Lombardi Trophy still dating back to 2012. But a 193–124 career record, a .609 winning percentage, six AFC North titles and a Super Bowl ring tend to travel well.

His agent made it clear that multiple teams reached out within minutes of the news breaking. There was interest from the Atlanta Falcons, the Cleveland Browns, and the Tennessee Titans. Still, the pull of the New York Giants was always there. Once contract talks with New York began Wednesday night, Harbaugh canceled meetings with other teams.

Harbaugh talked about the Giants’ job as an honor. This is one of the league’s legacy franchises, and he understands what that means. According to reports, one of the big draws was rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and the chance to shape him from the ground up.

New York hasn’t exactly been a model of stability. Since 2008, the Giants have reached the playoffs just three times. Still, there’s something to work with. The roster has young pieces in running back Cam Skattebo, wide receiver Malik Nabers, and left tackle Andrew Thomas holding down the offensive line, and of course, QB Dart. There’s potential here.

Harbaugh’s track record with quarterbacks is hard to ignore. He helped turn Lamar Jackson into one of the league’s most dangerous dual-threat players and a two-time MVP. How he applies that experience to Dart will be interesting. It’s going to be a big season for Harbaugh and the Giants.