The 49ers are bringing a familiar face back into the fold. After firing Nick Sorenson as their defensive coordinator, San Francisco went with the most obvious route in their search. According to a report from The Athletic's Mike Silver, the 49ers are expected to re-hire Robert Saleh.
Saleh was involved as a candidate in the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching search, which, for a moment, seemed like a job he might get. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen dropped out of the running Wednesday, only to rejoin the fray and likely get the job after a godfather offer from Jaguars ownership, according to The Athletic's Russini.
The only people the 49ers interviewed for the position were Saleh, in-house candidate Brandon Staley, and Lions defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, a second minority candidate, which fulfilled the league's Rooney Rule requirements.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported on Audacy's TK Show (49ers +/-) that the 49ers were prepared to make Saleh the highest-paid defensive coordinator "in the land."
It appears the 49ers will get their wish, and will now only need to sort out their special teams coordinator position. NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reported shortly after the Saleh news that the 49ers interviewed Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer, who's been in the role since 2016. Perhaps the bigger news is that Sorenson won't get the job, and he won't remain with the 49ers.