Robert Saleh returns to 49ers as defensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan

SANTA CLARA — Robert Saleh returns to his role as defensive coordinator for the 49ers, the team announced Friday evening.

Saleh returns to a very different unit from the one he left four years ago.

Fred Warner and Nick Bosa are the only starters still under contract from Saleh’s initial 2017-20 regime, during which he became known for his secondary enthusiasm and parlayed that successful stint into his first coaching job- leader with the New York Jets.

Saleh had interviewed in recent days to fill coaching positions with the Jacksonville Jaguars (January 12), Las Vegas Raiders (January 14) and Dallas Cowboys (January 16).

Saleh was scheduled to interview for a second time with the Jaguars until Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen reappeared in the Jaguars’ picture on Thursday, a day after Jacksonville fired general manager Trent Baalke. On Friday, as Coen closed his deal with Jacksonville, the Raiders hired San Francisco native Pete Carroll, 73, for whom Saleh worked as a starting defensive assistant in 2011-13. And the Cowboys job went to Brian Schottenheimer, their outgoing offensive coordinator.

As Saleh returns to his old position – the 49ers’ first-ever recall for a former defensive coordinator – coach Kyle Shanahan still has two other key positions to fill on his staff: offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator.

Shanahan, during his Jan. 8 press conference, prematurely announced Klay Kubiak’s promotion to offensive coordinator before fulfilling the league-mandated protocol of interviewing two minority candidates. Several candidates have been interviewed to replace Brian Schneider as special teams czar.

Saleh, 45, was fired after five games this season to cap a 20-36 tenure with the Jets; they finished their campaign 5-12 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, a former 49ers linebacker who was recently hired as defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

Saleh’s return to the 49ers was telegraphed, as he was among the first candidates interviewed after Nick Sorensen’s ouster after one year as defensive coordinator. Sorensen was expected to be considered for the special teams vacancy, but he is not expected to remain on the team, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, who noted that former Jets assistant Brant Boyer had interviewed for this role, which belonged to the previous three seasons. to Brian Schneider.

Saleh is the 49ers’ fourth defensive coordinator in as many years, joining DeMeco Ryans (2021-22), Steve Wilks (2023) and Sorensen.

A day after Shanahan confirmed that Sorensen would not return to lead the defense, the 49ers announced that they had interviewed Saleh and Detroit Lions assistant Deshea Townsend, with both interviews conducted virtually and following team practices. NFL minority hiring. No further interviews have been announced, although Shanahan said he would consider bringing up Brandon Staley, who served last season as an assistant head coach and worked with the defense.

The 49ers’ 6-11 fall from NFC champions to the cellar dwellers of the NFC West was ushered in by a defense that ranked 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game). They have recorded just two takeaways in the last nine games and have allowed at least 40 points while losing each of their last two games. Among their pending free agents are linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Shanahan said after the season that he was still very favorable to the defensive system the 49ers have deployed since Saleh’s arrival in 2017, with four defensive linemen tasked with creating passing pressure rather than relying on unpredictable blitzes.

The 49ers struggled defensively in Saleh’s first two seasons, then paved the 2019 team’s path to the Super Bowl. Days after their 2023 team also lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilks was fired and ultimately replaced by the internal promotion of Sorensen, who was working as the Nickel Backs’ coach with no prior experience as a coordinator. .

Shanahan cited the 49ers’ deep playoff run for negatively affecting his past assistant searches, and this go-around saw him having to compete with seven franchises that were shuffling their staffs from the head coach on down.

Originally published: January 24, 2025 at 7:03 p.m. PST