After dismissing Nick Sorensen, it's painfully obvious who the 49ers want for their next defensive coordinator.
Mere days after the San Francisco 49ers finished the regular season with the fourth-worst points-allowed total, head coach Kyle Shanahan opted to fire defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after just one season in that role and despite the fact it'd mean the Niners would be on their third coordinator in as many years.
It's an understandable decision but not necessarily a knee-jerk one. Despite a nasty rash of injuries, Sorensen largely failed to adjust defensive tendencies, and his side of the ball looked particularly bad over San Francisco's final three games.
However, Shanahan and Co. likely wouldn't have pulled the trigger on Sorensen's firing unless they had a follow-up plan in place.
It appears they have one. And it involves a prior 49ers defensive coordinator coming back.
49ers prepared to hire Robert Saleh if he doesn't become head coach elsewhere
The morning after news of Sorensen's firing broke, multiple NFL insiders reported the Niners were prepared to hire ex-New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in a defensive coordinator role, including Josina Anderson and Albert Breer:
Just-in: I’m told Robert Saleh’s first head coach interview with the #Jaguars is Tuesday. Another head coach interview is expected thereafter. The #49ers are also expected to make him an offer at defensive coordinator, per sources. https://t.co/RZ1zgicFsp
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 8, 2025
Ex-Jets coach Robert Saleh will interview for the @Jaguars job on Tuesday, per sources. Saleh was Jags LBs coach from 2014-16, and the Jets team/defensive collapse after his firing may reflect the value he brought.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 8, 2025
Saleh's also, obviously, a name to watch for the 49ers DC job.
Saleh, who was fired by the Jets midseason, was San Francisco's coordinator under Shanahan from 2017 through 2020, helping get the 49ers to the Super Bowl after the 2019 season.
But Saleh's efforts in another injury-plagued year, 2020, were masterful and undoubtedly helped him land a head coaching job with Gang Green the subsequent offseason.
One can wonder if that success influenced Shanahan to consider how Saleh would have handled the injury-riddled Niners in 2024.
Anderson's report also suggests San Francisco is willing to forego any interviews with Saleh for the job, simply a willingness to hire him outright if other head coaching opportunities fall through, including the reported interview with a prior stopping point on Saleh's résumé, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Interesting.
Of course, the 49ers would require a contingency plan if Saleh is hired elsewhere, either as a coordinator or head coach. After all, New York's dysfunction in the wake of his dismissal only serves to improve his candidacy as a coach, which is something NFL Network's Mike Garafolo pointed out amid news the Jags were considering Saleh for the role:
Credit the #Jaguars for their transparency in announcing their interview request list, which includes Robert Saleh. The #Jets’ performance after Saleh’s firing only helps his case as a head-coaching candidate, and indications are he has plenty of coordinator interest as well.…
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 7, 2025
If a team like Jacksonville opts to hire Saleh, perhaps the Niners could go with a Plan B by hiring someone like Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets' defensive coordinator under Saleh and interim head coach after the latter was fired.
Ulbrich was reportedly San Francisco's No. 1 target for the vacancy a season ago, but when New York kept the coach and former 49ers player from interviewing there, Shanahan opted to promote Sorensen.
That said, even if Ulbrich winds up being available, it's pretty evident the Niners' top choice would be a reunion with Saleh.