The San Francisco 49ers are looking for a new defensive coordinator after they demoted Nick Sorensen on Tuesday, and they may want a familiar coach to fill the vacancy.
The Niners are expected to offer their defensive coordinator job to Robert Saleh, according to a report from Josina Anderson.
Saleh was the defensive coordinator in San Francisco for four seasons from 2017-2020. The Niners had a dominant defense during that stretch, and Saleh was a big reason they reached the Super Bowl in 2019.
The success Saleh had with the 49ers is what led to him being hired as the head coach of the New York Jets in 2021. He was fired earlier this season after a 2-3 start. Saleh went 20-36 in three-plus seasons with the Jets.
The Niners ranked in the top 10 of the NFL this season in total yards allowed. They gave up 25.6 points per game, however, and finished 29th in the league in that category.
Saleh has already landed a head coach interview with one AFC team, so taking another coordinator job is probably nothing more than a fallback plan for him. The 45-year-old could also wait a year and hope for more head coach opportunities next offseason.
