The San Francisco 49ers were fully aware it wouldn't take long for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to get a head-coaching job again, and that fact was realized just two days after head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad was eliminated from the playoffs by the Seattle Seahawks.
Saleh is off to become the Tennessee Titans' next head coach, ending his second stint in the Bay Area after just one season.
Of course, Shanahan's coaching staff is primed to be plucked for talent, and Saleh might not be the only name to depart heading into 2026.
Especially if Saleh is already keeping his eyes out for a suitable offensive coordinator, which he'll need out in Tennessee to help develop second-year quarterback Cam Ward and his supporting cast.
Shanahan already seems overly reluctant to let go his current coordinator, Klay Kubiak, although there's speculation the latter doesn't call plays but rather helps install play designs and schemes.
While Saleh may (or may not) have wanted Kubiak, there's another coordinating candidate for whom the Titans' new coach can grab without difficulty.
Mike McDaniel is the perfect OC pairing for Robert Saleh's Titans
Saleh already got a jumpstart on his coaching staff long before accepting the Tennessee gig, and this was made apparent when the Miami Dolphins opted to fire their head coach, Mike McDaniel, at the end of the regular season.
McDaniel's rocky tenure in South Beach likely means he won't be a favorite to land another head-coaching role anytime soon, so returning to the coordinator ranks is the best way for him to rebuild his own brand.
Doing so under Saleh would be ideal.
Saleh and McDaniel worked together with the Niners from 2017 through 2020 before the former headed east for his first head-coaching job with the New York Jets. McDaniel, after a 2021 promotion to offensive coordinator, subsequently took the Dolphins' job a year later.
The pairing would be beneficial for Ward, in particular, as he looks to build upon a rough rookie year without a solid offensive game plan. McDaniel would get a chance to develop the No. 1 overall pick from the 2025 draft while also installing an offense that'd be tailored to maximizing the quarterback's talents.
And a working rapport with Saleh only helps drive that initiative, making the hire of a former San Francisco assistant by another former 49ers assistant a perfect one.