While being a head coach remains his ultimate goal, Robert Saleh admitted the 49ers were the only team for which he'd want to be a coordinator.
On Thursday, (returning) San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator spoke with the media for the first time since his second stint began.
Saleh, of course, reunited under head coach Kyle Shanahan after a strenuous tenure as the New York Jets' head coach that lasted from 2021 to the halfway point of the 2024 season before being fired.
True, Saleh received consideration for other teams' head-coaching vacancies, including what seemed like a shoo-in with another former employer, the Jacksonville Jaguars, only for the Jags to grab former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen instead.
But, that pivot allowed Saleh to freely come back to the Bay Area, a position that not only included being the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league but also the ability to have a say in roster decisions.
Judging by the Niners' actions in the 2025 NFL Draft, it's safe to say Saleh's influence was felt.
The coordinator had a chance to expand upon his offseason journey, one that now includes a perspective on being a head coach. And while a return to head-coaching ranks might be his ultimate objective, there was no other coordinating role he would have been willing to accept other than the one San Francisco presented to him.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for this organization," Saleh told reporters after admitting no interest in coordinating elsewhere. "They gave me so much and during the first two years, if you think about those first two years as the coordinator in '17 and '18, it wasn't easy and it could have been very easy for them to move on for me.
"I'm indebted to this organization, to those men for the rest of my life. They stuck with me and we made it happen. We did what we needed to do and the rest is history, and I'm excited about the opportunity to get a chance to do it again with them."
You can watch the full presser below:
The coordinator, too, admitted he had a say regarding the 49ers' selections in the NFL Draft, highlighting the "collaboration" that doesn't always exist elsewhere.
Saleh also pointed out how his own defense evolved since the last time he served with the 49ers, acknowledging how the league has changed while also bringing in concepts honed during his tenure with Gang Green.
In light of the kind of defense Saleh built with the Niners, previously, it's fair to say fans are nothing but stoked to see him back in the building and presented with an opportunity to rebuild San Francisco's one-time strength.