When the Tennessee Titans decided to offer the head coaching job to Robert Saleh, one thing was certain: They knew they had found a coach who already had a dislike for their division rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars and their head coach, Liam Coen.
Early on in the 2025 season, the Jaguars upset the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers, and after the game, the two coaches exchanged some pleasantries that ultimately led to a heated, expletive-filled exchange between the men who will now meet twice a year inside the AFC South.
An on-field camera caught the exchange, which came close to a physical altercation if players and staff had not stepped in to separate the combatants.
Robert Saleh and Liam Coen are now in the same division 🍿 pic.twitter.com/5lqCPszQ5phttps://t.co/yIt5IzERLK
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 20, 2026
The altercation was the culmination of a week in which Saleh had gone on record, accusing the Jaguars and specifically Coen of using an advanced but legal signal-stealing system to put the team in advantageous situations.
From the looks and sounds of it, Coen didn’t appreciate being called out, and Saleh didn’t back down.
Coen: “Keep my name out of your mouth. Keep my name out of your mouth. Keep my name out of your (expletive) mouth.”
Saleh: “I was trying to compliment your ass. I will (expletive) your world up. You don’t wanna (expletive) with me. I will (expletive) end your (expletive) life.”
But the dislike for the Jaguars and Coen may run deeper for Saleh, who was a finalist for the Jaguars coaching position in 2025, and eventually only took the job in San Francisco after being devastated by the Jaguars decision to go with Coen.
That rejection fueled Saleh’s desire to get the Titans’ job and into the AFC South.
Last year, the Jags narrowed their choices down to Liam Coen and Robert Saleh. They spent hours with both and chose the former. Saleh, devastated, accepted the news and went to SF. This year, he had eyes on Titans job. He and Nagy spent today interviewing… and it was HIS time.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 20, 2026
The Titans and Jaguars already have a budding rivalry, and now, with the Titans hiring Saleh, things should get even more interesting moving forward.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans-Jaguars rivalry gets spicy boost with arrival of Robert Saleh
