Getty
Titans’ head coach Robert Saleh praised team owner Amy Adams Strunk at his press conference.
Robert Saleh had plenty of options when he started looking for his next head coaching job. But after doing his homework on the Tennessee Titans, one thing stood out above everything else: owner Amy Adams Strunk’s commitment to winning.
Tennessee Titans Head Coach Robert Saleh Praised Team Owner Amy Adams Strunk
“She’s, for lack of a better word, putting her money where her mouth is in terms of how much she loves this team, how much she loves this city, how much she loves the people in this organization,” Saleh said Thursday at his introductory press conference.
That wasn’t just empty praise. Saleh spent weeks researching the Titans organization before accepting the job, and what he discovered convinced him Tennessee was the right fit for his second stint as an NFL head coach.
“Shamelessly, I probably did as much research on this organization and the people, the leadership committee in this organization, than they probably did on me,” Saleh explained. “Did a ton of research on everything I could in terms of from top all the way down.”
The resources Strunk has poured into the organization impressed Saleh more than anything else he encountered during his search. He called the investment “like nothing I’ve ever seen before” and described Strunk as “an unbelievable human” based on everything he learned about the controlling owner.
Getting to meet Strunk and the rest of the Titans’ leadership team in person only reinforced what Saleh had already heard during his research phase.
“Getting a chance to meet everybody in person was an affirmation to what I had already heard,” Saleh said. “Be hard-pressed to find someone to say something bad about the people in this building.”
Saleh Values People Over Just Talent
For Saleh, the decision to join Tennessee came down to a core philosophy that’s guided his entire coaching career: championships are built by people, not just players.
“I’m a firm believer that people win championships,” Saleh said. “This organization is built to win a championship because of the people, from obviously Ms. Amy all the way down. The people here are unbelievable.”
That emphasis on organizational culture over pure roster construction separated Tennessee from other opportunities Saleh could have pursued. Asked specifically what questions he was trying to answer during his research, Saleh made it clear he was evaluating people first.
Saleh wanted to understand the entire structure of the organization before committing to lead it. That meant evaluating everyone from the front office to the coaching staff to the support personnel who make an NFL team function.
“That first and foremost is what drew me close to this organization,” Saleh said of the people he encountered during his research.
Titans GM Mike Borgonzi Did His Homework Too
The research process wasn’t one-sided. While Saleh was investigating the Titans, general manager Mike Borgonzi and his staff were doing extensive background work on their coaching candidates.
“He did a lot of research on us, and we did a lot of research on YouTube,” Borgonzi joked during Thursday’s press conference.
But Borgonzi’s evaluation went far beyond video clips. The Titans called coaches, scouts, and players who had worked with Saleh throughout his career. The feedback was universally positive, he noted.
“Every person we called, Robert is a great human being,” Borgonzi said.
The Titans GM also noted Saleh’s presence during the interview process stood out immediately.
“Robert has a presence about him,” Borgonzi said. “As soon as he walked in, you could feel his leadership.”
That mutual research process created alignment between Saleh and the Titans organization before either side made a commitment. Saleh knew what he was walking into, and Tennessee knew exactly what kind of leader they were hiring.
Now Saleh gets to build on that foundation with quarterback Cam Ward and a young roster.
Justin Carlucci brings 13+ years of journalism experience to Heavy. A veteran of multiple industry-leading companies, he has hosted SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio shows and contributed to the New York Post, combining traditional sports and news reporting with expertise in sports betting and fantasy sports. More about Justin Carlucci
More Heavy on Titans
Loading more stories