After four seasons serving as the New York Jets head coach, Robert Saleh returned to the San Francisco 49ers sideline as their this past Sunday as their defensive coordinator, a role that he previously held with the team from 2017-20.
While Saleh has plenty of experience leading defenses in the NFL, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa shared that his coordinator was nervous in the lead up to San Francisco’s Week 1 battle with the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
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On Thursday, Saleh met with the media for the first time since the 17-13 win, and he explained why he has anxiety about the job and just how bad it affects him.
“I’ll tell you guys a funny story. On Monday night, I had a dream that Seattle scored 37 points. It was a nightmare. I told [assistant head coach defense] Gus [Bradley] about it, and he goes, ‘man, only 37? That’s pretty good,'” Saleh said. “By Friday, it gets down though, you keep going down. So yeah, if you have a conversation with me in the beginning of the week, I’m scared to death. As of now, I think we’re going to give up 50. But that’s just the way we’re all wired, at least I’m wired. I’m scared to death and I need to prepare as good as I can to calm my nerves on Sunday.”
While you want your coaches to have a level of confidence in their abilities, it might be a good thing that Saleh is worried about the job. He’s not complacent, despite falling back into an old role, because he knows that it can be taken away from you. He’ll continue working to try and take the group to the next level, because in his mind, they’re always going to give up 50 points.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers’ Robert Saleh details anxiety-fueled nightmare ahead of Week 1