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49ers Interview Robert Saleh to be Their Defensive Coordinator

A potential reunion is in the works for the 49ers with their vacant defensive coordinator position.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh walks on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh walks on the field before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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A potential reunion is in the works.

The San Francisco 49ers have interviewed former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator. Saleh held the position with the 49ers from 2017 to 2020 before leaving for New York to be the head coach.

The 49ers interviewing Saleh for the vacant defensive coordinator position was the most obvious move. He's been a person of interest ever since the Jets fired him as head coach. It only emphasized once the 49ers relieved Nick Sorensen of his duties.

Plus, the 49ers seem to want to keep the main structure of their defensive scheme with some tweaks. The best way to do that is by bringing Saleh back since he had great success in his final two years with the 49ers.

“I love the scheme that we've had here," said Kyle Shanahan at his exit press conference on Wednesday. "I think it's one of the hardest things to go to when you’ve got the right guys in the right spots. But, I do think people adjust to schemes, and I think you have to adjust too depending on your personnel."

Saleh still has two head coaching interviews with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, I wonder if he truly wants those jobs since they are dumpster fires. Saleh can return to the 49ers and build himself up after a year or two to await a better situation.

Therein lies the issue with bringing Saleh back. Yes, he is an excellent coordinator who will likely bring the 49ers' defense back to elite standing. The downside is he will be gone again with the desire of becoming a head coach. It's a risk in hiring him to take up the position again.

There's still time for the 49ers to interview more candidates for defensive coordinator. I'm sure they will want to conduct several more interviews before making a final decision.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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