The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan have officially named Robert Saleh as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Saleh, 45, rejoins the 49ers after a three-plus-season stint (2021-24) as head coach of the New York Jets. His former player, Sauce Gardner, wasted no time reacting to the news of his ex-coach’s hiring.

“Sheeesh,” Gardner wrote in a retweet of NFL’s post on X (formerly Twitter).

Robert Saleh’s time with the Jets

During his tenure in New York, Saleh helped four players earn Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors in their first four NFL seasons: WR Braxton Berrios, CB Sauce Gardner, and DL Quinnen Williams. He also guided Gardner, LB Jermaine Johnson II, and Williams to Pro Bowl appearances.

Under Saleh’s leadership, the Jets defense thrived, consistently ranking in the NFL’s top 10 across multiple categories during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Over that two-year stretch, Saleh’s unit led the league in passing yards allowed per game (178.9) and opponent yards per play (4.7), while finishing second in total defense (301.7) and sixth in opponent yards per rush (4.1).

The defense racked up 93 sacks and 29 interceptions during that span, tying for eighth and 10th in the NFL, respectively. In 2022, Saleh helped mold the NFL’s Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year—WR Garrett Wilson and CB Sauce Gardner—making the Jets only the third team in NFL history to accomplish that milestone.

Saleh with the 49ers

During Saleh’s first run as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator (2017-20), he guided a unit that ranked third in passing yards allowed per game (211.4), fourth in total defense (323.6) and opponent yards per play (5.1), and sixth in opponent yards per rush (4.1) over his four-year tenure.

In 2019, Saleh earned Coordinator of the Year honors from Sporting News and propelled the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV by leading a defense that ranked first in passing yards allowed per game (169.2), second in total defense (281.8), and tied for second in third-down defense (33.3%).

The 2019 unit showcased the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, DL Nick Bosa, along with two Second-Team All-Pro selections in DL DeForest Buckner and CB Richard Sherman. Under Saleh’s guidance, Buckner, Bosa, Sherman, and LB Fred Warner all earned Pro Bowl nods during his first stint with the 49ers.

Before his first stint with the 49ers

Before his time in San Francisco, Saleh served as the linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars for three seasons (2014-16) and as a defensive quality control coach for the Seattle Seahawks for three seasons (2011-13), playing a role in their Super Bowl XLVIII championship team.

He started his NFL coaching career with the Houston Texans, taking on positions as a defensive intern (2005), defensive quality control coach (2006-08), and assistant linebackers coach (2009-10). Saleh’s coaching roots trace back to the college ranks, where he worked as a defensive assistant at Michigan State (2002-03), Central Michigan (2004), and Georgia (2005).

The San Francisco 49ers have built a storied legacy of defensive excellence, and with Robert Saleh back in charge, they aim to reclaim their dominance on that side of the ball. Saleh’s return is crucial to reviving the 49ers’ greatness and, ideally, completing the journey he and Shanahan began together in 2017.