Robert Saleh | Mitchell Leff / GettyImages
Robert Saleh didn’t land the head coaching job he wanted this offseason, but returning to the San Francisco 49ers felt like the right move. After the team parted ways with defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen in January, they quickly reached out to Saleh. When the Jacksonville Jaguars chose another coach, Saleh rejoined the franchise on Jan. 25 — the same place where he first became a coordinator under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Loyal to the Team That Believed in Him
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Saleh said he remains loyal to the 49ers because of how they supported him during difficult times. His first two years as coordinator (2017–18) were rough, with San Francisco ranking 25th and 28th in points allowed. Still, Shanahan stood by him.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for this organization,” Saleh said. “If you think about those first two years as the coordinator in ’17 and ’18, it wasn’t easy, and it could have been very easy for them to move on for me. I’m indebted to this organization, to those men for the rest of my life. They stuck with me, and we made it happen. We did what we needed to do, and the rest is history. I’m excited about the opportunity to get a chance to do it again with them.”
From Super Bowl Run to Jets Stint
Saleh’s first two defenses in San Francisco finished near the bottom of the league in points allowed. But the front office kept faith in him, adding talent like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Richard Sherman. In 2019, the defense became one of the league’s best, helping the Niners reach Super Bowl LIV.
After the 2020 season, Saleh became head coach of the New York Jets. Over three seasons, he posted a 20-36 record before being let go in October 2024. He now returns to San Francisco, hoping to fix a defense that fell apart last season.
Fixing a Broken Unit
The 49ers’ defense in 2024 ranked 29th in points allowed (25.6 per game), 26th in defensive EPA (-57.71), and tied for 20th in takeaways with only 17. In their final three games, they gave up an average of 38.7 points and 404.3 yards — with no forced turnovers.
Updated Scheme, Same Mentality
Saleh still believes in many of the principles he used during his first 49ers stint. He wore his trademark “All Gas, No Brake” bracelet at Thursday’s press conference. But he said his approach has evolved.
“You’re always trying to stay two years ahead of offense,” Saleh said. “When we went to the Jets, there was a lot of different things that we started to do, and even now while we have some things from the Jets, there’s stuff that has evolved over the course of the last four years here, and obviously with the league that there’s stuff happening.
“Over this offseason, a lot of really cool concepts, a lot of really cool things. Some things are the same, some things are the same from the Jets, some things are meshed, some things are coming in that’s new. … A lot of it may seem similar but there’s a lot of nuances that makes a difference.”
New Faces, Fresh Energy
The 49ers lost key defenders this offseason — including Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins, and Javon Hargrave. Only Warner, Bosa, and Kevin Givens remain from Saleh’s 2019 group.
To reload, the team spent its first five draft picks on defenders: Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, CJ West, Nick Martin, and Upton Stout. Rookie minicamp starts this weekend, and Saleh expects many of them to contribute right away.
“[It’s] a really cool group of kids that are coming in,” he said. “All are going to have an opportunity to compete to get significant playing time this year. But it’s exciting to get just the injection of youth to go along with a lot of the veterans that we have on this football team. … It’s going to be fun to work on.”
Looking Ahead to Camp Battles
Saleh hasn’t had much time on the field with his defense yet, but OTAs begin later this month. He’ll soon be facing off against Shanahan and new offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
“He obviously has a lot of experience, really good defensive coach,” Kubiak said. “We haven’t done a ton of just sitting down talking X’s and O’s, but obviously watching the Jets defense past couple of years going against them, just a ton of respect for their scheme and how hard those guys play. And so, it’s going to be fun competing against those guys in training camp and in the offseason.”
Still Focused on the Sideline
After being fired by the Jets, Saleh worked briefly as a consultant for Packers coach Matt LaFleur — one of his closest friends — and said the time off helped him reset. But staying away from football for a full year? That was never realistic.
“We’re creatures of habit,” Saleh said. “It sounds good [to] wake up every morning, take my kids to school, go golf and then go watch tape. But coaching ball was always option one.”
As for another head coaching shot, Shanahan said he expects it to happen again — and Saleh isn’t ruling it out. But for now, his full focus is on building another dominant defense in the Bay.
More must-reads:
Clemson, Notre Dame to Play Yearly Through 2038 in 12-Year Deal
Brian Schottenheimer Brings Energy to Cowboys as Head Coach
This report used information from ESPN.
