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.

Robert Saleh, who led Kyle Shanahan's defense from 2017 to '20 before becoming head coach of the New York Jets, will return to the Bay Area in an effort to help the 49ers get back on track, The Athletic reports. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer confirmed San Francisco is hiring Saleh as its new defensive coordinator on Friday night.