Robert Saleh is wasting no time in adding to his coaching staff for his return stint as defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.
The latest hire suggests the Niners have learned the importance of experience in their coaching staff after a season marred by defensive inconsistency led by former defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen.
In this case, the incoming coach is Gus Bradley, who has extensive experience as both a head coach (four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and a defensive coordinator (four years with the Seattle Seahawks, four with the Los Angeles Chargers, one with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the last three with the Indianapolis Colts).
Tom Pelisero of NFL Network broke the news of Bradley's addition to San Francisco's coaching staff, although there is no indication of what role Bradley will have with the Niners' defense next season.
It's possible he'll move into the position that Brandon Staley had as assistant head coach/defense in 2024, but it is also probable that Bradley could serve in another capacity with the 49ers.
Gus Bradley has a history working with Robert Saleh
Bradley worked with Saleh in both Seattle and Jacksonville, the latter was where Saleh was when the 49ers hired him as a relative unknown when Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch joined the organization in 2017.
If nothing else, Bradley will bring extensive knowledge of the Niners' defensive scheme, having coordinated the Seahawks defense in the early days of the "Legion of Boom" era.
But there's also a chance that the 49ers are already preparing themselves for life after Saleh.
Saleh had a few head coaching interviews this offseason, notably in Jacksonville and with the Dallas Cowboys, so there's a chance if the Niners' defense rebounds in 2025 that his return to Santa Clara will be shortlived.
If that's the case, Bradley could be next in line to take over the role or part of his job will be to prepare other guys on the 49ers' defensive staff for a future as a coordinator in the system, be it with the Niners or elsewhere. A guy like K.J. Wright comes to mind when considering that.
Either way, having Bradley in the building feels like a positive step for the 49ers and may indicate their feelings about their decisions to hire coaches with limited experience in 2024.