Robert Saleh appears to be heading back to a familiar place.
The ex-Jets head coach is expected to become the next defensive coordinator of the 49ers, The Athletic reported Thursday night.
If a deal is completed, it will bring Saleh, 45, back to San Francisco, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2017-20.
Saleh was among the candidates for the Jaguars’ head coaching job, and he was expected to have a second interview Friday.
However, one day after the Jaguars fired general manager Trent Baalke, the team secretly met with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who had initially pulled himself out of the running for the Jacksonville head coaching job.
Now, though, Coen is back in play, and with that, Saleh canceled his flight to Jacksonville, per The Athletic.
Saleh was also a candidate for the Raiders and Cowboys, interviewing with Dallas in person last week.
He helped transform the team’s defense during his first stint in San Francisco, which culminated in a Super Bowl appearance during the 2019-20 season.
Just two seasons after the 49ers were ninth-worst in the NFL in yards allowed per game (351.6), they ranked second (281.8) in the same category as they won the NFC crown.
Saleh parlayed his defensive prowess into the Jets head coaching job in 2021, but the same success did not follow.
After three straight losing seasons and a 2-3 start in 2024, Saleh was fired and replaced with Jeff Ulbrich on an interim basis.
Saleh then worked as an offensive consultant for the Packers for the rest of the year following his ouster.
This past season also represented a down year for the 49ers, who went 6-11 and finished last in the NFC West — just one season removed from another Super Bowl loss.
In the days after the season, the team created its defensive coordinator need when it decided to remove Nick Sorensen after one year, though the 49ers hoped to retain him in a different capacity.
However, NBC Sports Bay Area reported Thursday that Sorensen is not expected to stay with the organization.
