 Because we bring in the new head coach. Here we go the New York Jets Robert Sala Coach, it's Michael Don and Peter. How are you doing today? I'm doing great. How are you guys doing? We're doing great now. Obviously, this is something you've worked for your whole life But when you hear yourself introduced as the new head coach of the New York Jets, what kind of feeling is that? It's cool, man. I mean, it's a blessing, right? I couldn't be happier It's been it's been a heck of a journey and the the best part about it is it's just beginning. So it's I'm excited about the opportunity Players seem to love you Richard Sherman has had high praise about you. So does that Robert make you a players coach? I think it makes makes everyone it makes us human. Yeah, you know, it's I don't know if there's I've never bought into the whole players coach all that stuff I just think when when people are genuinely in it together And we're all fighting for one thing and people invest in one another I just think it naturally happens that way. So you can call it a players coach if you want I just think it's being respectful to the process and understanding what these players go through day in and day out and Having it reciprocated from a player's viewpoint to coach and so But always understanding that we're in this together. We win together. We lose together. We learn together. And so you know having that mentality is is going to be The most important thing to me with regards to this this profession I was wondering because I was listening to your zoom call with the media and and you said the players have to know that You care about them and I started to wonder how a difficult tightrope that must be So you have to care about your players, but sometimes you have to get tough with them Sometimes you have to say no that you did the wrong thing How difficult is that for you to make to make that tightrope across the bridge? It's not difficult because Players players want to be coached. They want to be coached hard They want perfection they want they want to know that you're helping them make plays on Sunday So they can have the best career they can possibly have and so when a player knows that you're genuinely invested in them And and you're genuinely trying to help them get better every day You can tell them what they need to hear so they can get better. They want to hear it I think when when you see it a lot coaches are afraid to coach players because of what they might feel about them Well, it's different when they know where your heart is. It's different when they know you can help them It's different. It's a lot easier to be able to have those conversations because those players know that you're just trying to help them Get to where they want to get to Many of some sorry Peter. No, no go ahead up. Many people have said why didn't this happen sooner? You you've been ready now for a couple of years if that were it was the case What did these last couple of years do to help you before taking the show? You're always gonna find ways to get better, right? I'm more prepared today than I was two years ago. I'm more prepared today than I was yesterday Every day that goes by You always have to find a way to get better And so whatever your circumstances doesn't doesn't change the fact that you've got to wake up every morning and find ways to improve your your style improve your your yourself and so You know it never Met any frustration. It's just opportunities come about and to be honest with you throughout this whole process, you know, it's Even if it didn't work out during this process, I was still gonna be one of the lucky ones and But but have it happen and this town with this team Means more than I think people can possibly realize coach There's a lot of excitement here about your your attitude the success you had on defense in San Francisco And also excitement because you're the first Muslim head coach and there's a the entire Muslim community here Very excited about that. First of all, what does that mean to you? And second of all? We all say Robert Sala. Is that exactly how your family pronounces your name? Yeah, no, that's exactly right I'm humbled to be honest with you it's a I'm it's with a great humility that I That people recognize that part of it It's It's one of the cool things about a football locker room When you step into a football locker room the amount of stories nationalities races That you encounter in a locker room is second to none And the fact that all of them can appreciate and combine together to for one goal is What makes those locker rooms so cool and unique the discussions that are had the the relationships that are made Everything without judgment and so, you know those locker rooms To be a part of those locker rooms and to be a part of these organizations has been a blessing for the last however many years and And so it is a very humbling Thing to be a part of now coach obviously, you know a coordinator is always going to take a head coaching job I mean, that's just a natural progression But everything I've read you were beloved in San Francisco I mean Shanahan just has the most glowing things to say about you Was that a difficult goodbye for you because you were so well regarded by the people and the players? It's it's always hard What the Shanahan family has done for me The support not only from Kyle, but from his wife Mandy to his to Kyle's father Mike the amount of support and guidance and Just wards of wisdom that have been bestowed upon me It's been it is I is met with tremendous gratitude and so it's always hard But they are forever family to me the entire Niners organization is family the players the coaches the York family Just because you're in a different location doesn't mean that they're not family now You can't FaceTime and you can't communicate and so It's always hard, but it's it's never goodbye. It's more. I'll see you later, you know Yep You you it's known that you and Matt LaFleur are our best friends Going back a very long time to central Michigan. How dialed in will you be this weekend? For his championship game on Sunday. Oh man, I'm You know, I got a lot of respect for all the different coaches and especially at Tampa and all that but But I will you know probably aside from his wife and kids and his immediate family I'll be his next best cheerleader of my I'm gonna get together with Mike We're gonna sit down and I'm praying for him. I can't wait to see his team execute. They he's doing he's done such an unbelievable job over there and Really really excited for him the opportunity that he's got with this team and they're rolling So it's gonna be a cool game to watch. No, you just got this job. Go ahead Don You just got this job But you did face this team in week two So you do have some kind of knowledge of the personnel who are some of the current jets right now that impressed you You know what they're we're gonna go through that process. I've got a Sit down with the staff and really sit down over the next few weeks and just really evaluate these guys and And and see where where they are But I can't there's some really cool guys just recollection from the draft and just over the years and you look at on defense Quinn Williams That kid is special. He's a game record. He's somebody you have to game-plan against to keep him at bay and Obviously the it gives the other 10 guys an opportunity to excel just because of the focus that he's gonna garner On the other side of the ball you look at Sam Sam is an unbelievable talent. He really is he's got there's a reason why he was the third Pick in the draft His arm talent is special his natural thrower. He's fearless in the pocket The young man's got the mental capacity to Process and make decisions in a timely manner to keep himself clean and if things break down He has the ability to scramble and and and make plays on the move. So There are there are a lot of really good players to go through the whole roster. I'm sure I'd miss somebody but there's there's a lot of great There's a lot of great pieces to this roster and to have the ability to study it all and and and see where everything fits as we employ Deploy this scheme and implement and install our schemes on offensive and special teams They'll kind of come to fruition about where we're at new jets had coach Robert Sala is our guest here on the Michael K show 98 70 SPM by the way coach is the home of the New York Jets. We have all the games on so we look forward to talking to you a lot now