Robert Saleh is reprising his role as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday night. Saleh returns to a vastly different unit than he left behind four years ago. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa are the only starters still under contract from Saleh’s initial 2017-20 regime,

Robert Saleh is back as defensive coordinator of the 49ers, and all is right with the world. For now, anyway. Coach Kyle Shanahan has cycled through DeMeco Ryans, Steve Wilks and Nick Sorensen after Saleh’s departure following the 2020 season to become head coach of the New York Jets.

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.

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

The 49ers have brought back Robert Saleh, fired as Jets head coach this season, in the defensive coordinator role he held for San Francisco from 2017-2021.

It was a familiar storyline of the two higher-ranked seeds booking a trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX as the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Washington Commanders and the Kansas City Chiefs sn

Saleh was previously the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2017–20 until taking the head coaching job with the New York Jets.

The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive ... But after the team drafted defensive end Nick Bosa in 2019 and implemented the “wide nine” scheme ...

The San Francisco 49ers hired Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive ... But after the team drafted defensive end Nick Bosa in 2019 and implemented the “wide nine” scheme that featured ...

SANTA CLARA — Robert Saleh is reprising his role as the 49ers ... unit than he left behind four years ago. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa are the only starters still under contract from Saleh ...