Robert Saleh has been a popular name mentioned as a potential candidate to succeed Aaron Glenn as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. The former New York Jets head coach is a Detroit native who was a finalist for becoming the Lions’ head coach when the team hired Dan Campbell.

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.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Robert Saleh is reprising his role as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday night. Saleh returns to a vastly different unit than he left behind four years ago.

The San Francisco 49ers have brought back Robert Saleh to once again be the team’s defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. This news, as first reported by Mike Silver of the Athletic, comes amid a bit of a farce surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars’ hunt for a new head coach.

Saleh was fired midway through this past season in New York, but the Jets had a strong defense under his tenure.

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.

Saleh had interviewed for three head coaching positions but had committed to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch that, should be not get another head coaching job, he would return to San Francisco as defensive coordinator,

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner believes Robert Saleh returning as the defensive coordinator for the team could be a "dominant" unit in 2025.