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A group of Michigan state lawmakers sent a letter to Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp urging him to hire San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as the next head coach of the team.
Saleh, a native of Dearborn, Michigan, grew up in the state, played college football in the state, and his family has long football ties to Michigan State University and the history of football in the state. ‘State.
“We understand the difficulty of these decisions to come,” the letter read. “As passionate and loyal Lions fans, we ask you to hire Robert Saleh as the head coach of our team. He is the best candidate for the job and measures as such in all parameters. A head coach like Robert can bring tremendous energy and heart to the franchise and would help us reach heights that have seemed unattainable for so long. We have an amazing opportunity here and we trust you to make the best decision.
“To turn the corner and become a winning franchise, these next hiring decisions are essential. We hope you will view Robert Saleh as the head coach, not just for us, but for everyone in the loyal fan base. of our dear Detroit Lions.
The letter, written by Representative Abdullah Hammoud and his staff, also thanked Hamp for making the decision to fire general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia on Saturday after more than two seasons – saying these were necessary to move forward.
Hamp said on Saturday the team will cast a wide net as they seek out potential candidates for head coach and general manager positions, including opportunities at the college and professional levels, putting no barriers in their search.
“We’re going to watch everything,” Hamp said.
A message left with Lions requesting comment was not immediately returned to ESPN.
The Lions won a playoff game in the Super Bowl era – in the 1991 season – and haven’t won a division title since 1993. They replace Patricia, who went 13-29-1 in more than two seasons leading the team.
Which partly explains why Rep. Hammoud and his fellow lawmakers felt compelled to write to Hamp with their suggestion. Hammoud, who like Saleh is from Dearborn, said he knew Saleh’s family but had never met Saleh. Hammoud said he has gained support from Democratic and Republican lawmakers and all parts of the state, from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit.
“A lot of us in the Legislature love Lions and we’ve decided why not give them a hand,” Hammoud told ESPN. “And kind of guide them to the coach we’d like to see come home, who’s a man from Michigan.”
Hammoud said more than 40 lawmakers are considering signing the letter. Hammoud said many lawmakers are Lions fans and look at Lions consistently.
He said a few lawmakers didn’t want to sign the letter, even though they preferred Saleh, because they didn’t want to hurt him. Hammoud said that in times of stress it was fun to talk about Lions for a few minutes and collect the signatures to put it together.
“In the COVID era too, we all rely on our sports teams,” Hammoud said. “We all watch together, we watch, we discuss it online, on social media, whatever it is, so we really want Lions to be successful to some extent.”
Saleh, 41, traveled to northern Michigan and coached in the state of Michigan, central Michigan and Georgia at the college level. He’s been San Francisco’s defensive coordinator since 2017 and before that he was a linebacker coach in Jacksonville and defensive assistant in Houston and Seattle.
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