The 49ers and Jets both enjoyed top-five defenses under Saleh. There’s little reason to expect Saleh to stray away from what’s made his defenses elite. There also may not be m

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.

Robert Saleh cannot personally create turnovers, rush the passer or stop the run. His return as the 49ers’ D-coordinator is no guarantee of success.

Robert Saleh didn’t get the job he wanted, but the job he accepted could lead to a gig he desires next year. Saleh rejoined the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator Friday and the announcement was made shortly after the last of the three head-coaching openings for which he was a candidate was filled.

Later on Thursday, then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen had a change of heart, the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly moved to hire him as head coach and Saleh, who told Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch that he’d return to the 49ers if he didn’t get a head-coaching job, stayed true to his promise.

Saleh was fired as the Jets’ coach five games into this season and is now back with the 49ers, where he made his name in the NFL.

The San Francisco 49ers have long established their strong defensive identity, and with Robert Saleh back at the helm

The San Francisco 49ers might have pulled off the coup of this year’s coaching cycle, bringing back Robert Saleh to coordinate their defense.

Saleh was fired midway through this past season in New York, but the Jets had a strong defense under his tenure.

The San Francisco 49ers' prospects on defense for the 2025 season already seem a fair bit brighter following the return of Robert Saleh of coordinator, but it will take several reinforcements on the personnel side for this group to return to the ranks of the best in the NFL next season.