The San Francisco 49ers are losing defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to the New York Jets, but they have a replacement in mind.
The Niners are expected to promote linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans to defensive coordinator, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
With Robert Saleh gone, expect the #49ers to promote LBs coach DeMeco Ryans as their new defensive coordinator, source said. An impressive young coach.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2021
49ers reporter David Lombardi says that Ryans has been the internal favorite for DC for a while.
DeMeco Ryans has been the 49ers’ in-house choice for a while. The question was whether or not Saleh would get the job. Ryans has obviously done a fantastic job developing Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and now Azeez Al-Shaair https://t.co/516vp9nJyZ
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 15, 2021
Ryans played in the NFL from 2006-2015. He was a linebacker for the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles and made two Pro Bowls.
Becoming defensive coordinator would be a meteoric rise for Ryans. The 36-year-old was hired as a defensive quality control coach in 2017 and only became an inside linebackers coach in 2018.
