Robert Saleh’s new mantra for Jets: ‘All gasoline, no brake’

Robert Saleh had a message for the Jets gamers on Thursday: it is going to be pedal to the metallic round his group.

“Get used to the mantra: all gasoline, no brake,” Saleh mentioned throughout his introductory information convention over Zoom. “Once we discuss all gasoline and no brake, we’re not speaking about effort on the sector. We’re speaking concerning the course of which we do issues. We’re speaking about the best way we put together, the best way we get up each single morning, the best way we rehab, the best way we talk, the best way we converse to at least one one other.”

Saleh, 41, spoke about his imaginative and prescient for the Jets per week after agreeing to develop into the group’s new head coach. He didn’t pound the desk or assure Lombardi trophies, however delivered a transparent message of what he expects and the way he expects to attain it. There received’t be any memes mocking him after this press convention.

“We’ve a whole lot of work to do, however make no mistake that our aim is to win championships,” Saleh mentioned.

The Jets employed Saleh after interviewing no less than 9 candidates. The group spoke with him just about first after which had him in for an in-person interview a number of days later in New Jersey. Staff brass had heard glowing critiques of Saleh earlier than assembly with him after which was impressed after they spoke to him.

“Once we met with Robert, I used to be struck by his presence,” group CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson mentioned. “He displayed a capability to have interaction with us in a digital interview. He additionally clearly communicated a imaginative and prescient of this group that aligns with ours. Once we met in particular person, it validated the whole lot we believed following our preliminary assembly. Robert has proven via his journey right here that he’s a pacesetter, one that may have interaction your entire group and can accomplice with [general manager] Joe [Douglas] to proceed constructing the tradition of a profitable group.

“His character and keenness are what this group wants.”

Saleh takes over a group that has been one of many worst within the NFL in recent times. The Jets have the longest playoff drought within the NFL at 10 seasons. They’ve had 5 straight shedding years. The group went 2-14 in 2020. Now, Saleh would be the newest coach to attempt to flip the Jets into winners.

“It should take time, however the whole lot we do goes to be designed to win championships sooner or later,” mentioned Saleh, who spent the previous 4 seasons as 49ers defensive coordinator. “Once we discuss all gasoline, no brake and that mentality, waking up within the morning, placing your foot to the pedal and having that mindset, once more go to mattress higher than you wakened. That’s the mindset we’re going to have and we’re very assured that’s going to result in championships.”

Douglas mentioned Saleh checked all of the packing containers for the Jets, who emphasised management on this search. It sounds just like the Jets checked a whole lot of packing containers for Saleh, as nicely. Saleh, a Michigan native, interviewed with six of the seven groups that had job openings on this cycle. However he mentioned he felt an actual reference to Johnson, Douglas and group president Hymie Elhai after they met.

“It simply felt like dwelling,” Saleh mentioned. “It felt like I used to be again dwelling speaking to my highschool pals. It’s dwelling.”

Saleh was impressed to enter teaching after his brother, David, escaped the South Tower on 9/11. Saleh realized he couldn’t wait to chase his dream of teaching. He sees a higher which means to him now turning into the coach of the Jets.

“I’m alleged to be right here and I imagine that,” Saleh mentioned. “God does issues for a purpose and I imagine that is one in every of them.”

With a purpose to be a pacesetter of your entire group, Saleh is not going to name the defensive performs. He’ll depart that to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who involves the Jets from the Falcons. Adam Gase was typically criticized for being too centered on the offense. Saleh believes not calling performs will free him up for different duties.

“To have the ability to have that target all elements of a recreation, sustaining our imaginative and prescient and sustaining the usual at which we play is form of the position I see a head coach taking,” Saleh mentioned.

Saleh mentioned he has reached out to each Jets participant by way of textual content message and heard again from a few of them in texts and calls, and he has met a number of who had been receiving medical remedy on the Jets’ headquarters.

He emphasised how integral his relationships with gamers might be.

“I imagine that the funding coaches put into gamers must be the equal of the funding you set into your kids,” mentioned Saleh, the daddy of six with one other youngster on the best way. “You’ve received to speculate the whole lot you might have in your coronary heart and in your soul into these gamers as a result of they’re counting on you to assist them be their very best to allow them to showcase their abilities on Sunday.”