The San Francisco 49ers have brought back a fan-favorite and familiar face, as Robert Saleh returns to the team as defensive coordinator.
Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.
The 49ers already nailed the first step to bouncing back next season by hiring Robert Saleh to rebuild the defense.
There’s an interesting wrinkle to the San Francisco 49ers’ re-acquisition of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. While they’re gaining an experienced defensive coordinator with a strong track record, they may also gain another opportunity to secure a pair of third-round draft picks if he’s hired to be another team’s head coach.
Saleh was fired midway through this past season in New York, but the Jets had a strong defense under his tenure.
Brant Boyer was announced Monday as the 49ers’ new special teams coordinator, a role he held the past nine season with the Jets, where he overlapped and worked under coach Robert Saleh, who was re-hired Friday as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
Robert Saleh’s encore as 49ers defensive coordinator took on more likelihood as the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders hired others to fill their head coach vacancies.
A day after The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers were about to stage a reunion with Robert Saleh, the club announced Friday that the former New York Jets head coach is returning to his old job as defensive coordinator.
The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Robert Saleh has been named as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Robert Saleh will be on the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline this upcoming season. The 49ers are set to bring back the former New York Jets head coach.
Now that the San Francisco 49ers have hired Robert Saleh, some believe he'll bring a key defensive player from the New York Jets with him.