SANTA CLARA — Robert Saleh is reprising his position because the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, a league supply confirmed Friday night time.
Saleh returns to a vastly completely different unit than he left behind 4 years in the past.
Fred Warner and Nick Bosa are the one starters nonetheless underneath contract from Saleh’s preliminary 2017-20 regime, throughout which he turned recognized for his sideline enthusiasm and parlayed that profitable stint into his first head-coaching job with the New York Jets.
Saleh had interviewed in current days to fill the teaching vacancies with the Jacksonville Jaguars (Jan. 12), the Las Vegas Raiders (Jan. 14) and the Dallas Cowboys (Jan. 16).
Saleh was to interview a second time with the Jaguars till Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen re-entered the Jaguars’ image Thursday, a day after Jacksonville fired basic supervisor Trent Baalke. On Friday, as Coen accomplished his take care of Jacksonville, the Raiders employed 73-year-old San Francisco native Pete Carroll, whom Saleh labored for as an entry-level defensive assistant in 2011-13. And the Cowboys’ put up went to Brian Schottenheimer, their incumbent offensive coordinator.
Whereas Saleh returns to his former put up — the 49ers’ first-ever encore for an ex-defensive coordinator — coach Kyle Shanahan nonetheless has two different key vacancies to fill on his employees: offensive coordinator and particular groups coordinator.
Shanahan, at his Jan. 8 press convention, prematurely introduced Klay Kubiak’s promotion to the offensive coordinator position earlier than fulfilling the league-mandated protocol of interviewing two minority candidates. A number of candidates have been interviewed to interchange Brian Schneider as particular groups czar.
Saleh, 45, was fired 5 video games into this season to conclude a 20-36 tenure with the Jets; they accomplished their 5-12 marketing campaign underneath interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, a former 49ers linebacker who not too long ago obtained employed because the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator.
Saleh’s return to the 49ers was telegraphed, as he was among the many first candidates interviewed after Nick Sorensen’s ouster after one yr as defensive coordinator. Sorensen was to be thought of for the particular groups emptiness however he isn’t anticipated to stay on employees, in keeping with NBC Sports activities Bay Space’s Matt Maiocco, who famous that ex-Jets assistant Brant Boyer has interviewed for that position, which belonged the earlier three seasons to Brian Schneider.
Saleh is the 49ers’ fourth defensive coordinator in as a few years, following DeMeco Ryans (2021-22), Steve Wilks (2023) and Sorensen
A day after Shanahan confirmed Sorensen wouldn’t return to guide the protection, the 49ers introduced that they had interviewed Saleh and Detroit Lions assistant Deshea Townsend, with each interviews being completed nearly and fulfilling the NFL’s minority-hiring practices. No different interviews had been introduced, though Shanahan had mentioned he would think about elevating Brandon Staley, who served the previous season as his assistant head coach and labored with the protection.
The 49ers’ 6-11 fall from NFC champions to NFC West cellar dwellers was ushered by a protection that ranked twenty ninth in factors allowed (25.6 per sport). They registered simply two takeaways over the ultimate 9 video games and allowed a minimum of 40 factors in shedding every of their ultimate two video games. Amongst their pending free brokers are linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward and security Talanoa Hufanga.
Shanahan mentioned after the season he nonetheless very a lot favors the defensive scheme the 49ers have deployed since Saleh first arrived in 2017, with 4 defensive linemen chargeable for creating pass-rush stress fairly than counting on unpredictable blitzes.
The 49ers struggled defensively in Saleh’s preliminary two seasons, then they keyed the 2019 crew’s path to the Tremendous Bowl. A number of days after their 2023 crew additionally misplaced within the Tremendous Bowl to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, Wilks was fired and finally changed by the in-house promotion of Sorensen, who labored as a nickel backs coach with no prior expertise as a coordinator.
Shanahan cited the 49ers’ deep playoff runs for adversely affecting his previous searches for assistants, and this go-round noticed him having to compete with seven franchises who had been overhauling their staffs from the pinnacle coach on down.
