The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Robert Saleh has been named as the team’s defensive coordinator.

Saleh was fired as the Jets’ coach five games into this season and is now back with the 49ers, where he made his name in the NFL.

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.

The San Francisco 49ers got their man as Robert Saleh is head back to the Bay Area for a second stint as defensive coordinator.

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.

Robert Saleh was sacked by the New York Jets, and while all eyes are on the Aaron Glenn era, it’s not over for the former head coach in the NFL. Over the past few days while the dust settled on the hirings of Glenn as coach and Darry Mougey as general manager in New York, Saleh has returned home… in a sense.

After an exhaustive 16-day search, the San Francisco 49ers have finally settled on their next defensive coordinator. And just as head coach Kyle Shanahan desired, that job now belong to Robert Saleh.

The 49ers are going all-in for a Robert Saleh reunion. The former New York Jets head coach has an offer on the table from San Francisco to become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Look back at some of the best photos of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's first stint with the San Francisco 49ers. Look back at some of the best San Francisco 49ers defensive line photos throughout the 2024 season. DL Maliek Collins, DL Sam Okuayinonu, DL Leonard Floyd, Defensive Line Coach Kris Kocurek, DL Nick Bosa

According to ESPN, the New York Jets and former San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator Steve Wilks have agreed to terms on a contract.

The 49ers defense could look much different next season under Robert Saleh. Of all the players he coached on the 49ers from 2017 to 2020, only two