The Detroit Lions search committee spent Thursday interviewing San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for the team’s head coaching vacancy. The Lions acknowledged the interview in a public statement.
Saleh is widely seen as the perceived leading candidate for the job of taking over the Lions. He is a Detroit-area (Dearborn) native and local politicians have advocated for the Lions to hire him. Saleh’s 49ers defenses have played well despite myriad injuries across the unit. He’s respected for his leadership presence and ability to adapt to the talent on hand.
The Lions have interviewed several candidates for the head coaching vacancy, including interim head coach Darrell Bevell and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy this week. There are more interviews scheduled, including one early next week with Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
