SANTA CLARA — Rather than attempt to venture out and try something new, Robert Saleh wanted to repay the loyalty that was shown to him.
That is why Saleh accepted the 49ers’ offer to return to the organization nearly four months ago as defensive coordinator. He held that same role on Kyle Shanahan's staff from 2017 to 2020.
“If you think about those first two years as D-coordinator in ’17 and ’18, it wasn’t easy,” Saleh said Thursday in his first public comments after returning to the 49ers.
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"I’m indebted to this organization, to those men, for the rest of my life."
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) May 8, 2025
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Saleh, 46, was in the mix for head-coaching jobs in the offseason. He likely could have had his pick of nearly every defensive coordinator opening. But he gave Shanahan the assurance that if he did not get a head-coaching job, he would return to the 49ers.
Saleh parlayed his successes with the 49ers as defensive coordinator into the head-coaching job with the New York Jets in 2021.
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He was fired after the Jets began last season with a 2-3 record. The Jets’ overall record was 20-36 during his tenure.
The Jets could never figure out the offensive side of the ball under Saleh. The defense was a different story.
And after a rough first season, the Jets ranked fourth and third in the NFL in total defense during Saleh’s next two seasons.
He returns to the 49ers with a fresh perspective and some new ideas.
“I’ve gone through the head-coaching stuff, and you learn a lot going through that,” Saleh said. “But I’m happy to be back in this chair, where you get to coach a little more football and not deal with all the administrative stuff that comes with being a head coach.”
Saleh replaces Nick Sorensen as defensive coordinator. Shanahan fired Sorensen shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season. The 49ers were last in the NFC West with a 6-11 record.
Saleh finished last season as a consultant with the Green Bay Packers under his longtime friend Matt LaFleur.
Saleh said he returned to the 49ers with the idea of incorporating some of the elements from his four seasons with the 49ers, along with some of the concepts he implemented with the Jets.
He said he has worked with his defensive staff this offseason to project where offenses around the league are shifting and what can be done for the defense to remain ahead of the curve.
“We’re trying to stay a couple years ahead,” Saleh said. “A lot of it might seem similar but there’s a lot of nuance that makes it different.”