The NY Jets made history with their head coaching hire Thursday night ... they inked a deal with Robert Saleh, reportedly making him the NFL's 1st-ever Muslim head coach.
According to Muslim civil rights advocacy group CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) ... no other Muslim had been given the role in the league's history prior to Saleh's hiring.
"We welcome this development as another sign of the increasing inclusion and recognition of American Muslims in our diverse society," CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said.
41-year-old Saleh -- who was born in Michigan but has family roots in Lebanon -- has been a straight-up hell of a coach since he was promoted to defensive coordinator in San Francisco.