Robert Saleh appears to be returning to a familiar place.
The former Jets head coach is expected to become the 49ers' next defensive coordinator. The Athletic reported Thursday night..
If the deal is completed, it would return the 45-year-old Saleh to San Francisco, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2017-20.
Saleh is one of the candidates for the Jaguars' head coaching job, and he was expected to interview for a second time on Friday.
However, one day after the Jaguars fired general manager Trent Balke, the team secretly met with offensive coordinator Liam Cohen.
But now, Cohen is back to playing, and with that, Saleh has canceled his flight to Jacksonville, per The Athletic.
Saleh is also a candidate for the Raiders and Cowboys and interviewed in person with Dallas last week.
He helped transform the team's defense in his first stint in San Francisco.
The 49ers ranked 9th in the West in yards allowed per game (351.6) and 2nd in the same category in which they won the NFC crown (281.8).
Saleh parlayed his defense into the Jets' head coaching job in 2021, but the same success didn't continue.
After three consecutive seasons and a 2-3 start in 2024, Saleh was fired and replaced on an interim basis by Jeff Ulbrich.
Saleh then worked as an offensive consultant for the Packers following his ouster.
This past season 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.
A few days into the season, the team created a need for a defensive coordinator when they decided to remove Nick Sorensen after a year, but the 49ers wanted to keep him in a different capacity.
However, NBC Sports Bay Area reported Thursday that Sorensen is not expected to remain with the organization.
