The 49ers already nailed the first step to bouncing back next season by hiring Robert Saleh to rebuild the defense.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is welcoming 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh back to the same role, per NFL Media. Saleh served as Shanahan's original 49ers defensive coordinator for four seasons from 2017 to 2020,

Later on Thursday, then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen had a change of heart, the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly moved to hire him as head coach and Saleh, who told Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch that he’d return to the 49ers if he didn’t get a head-coaching job, stayed true to his promise.

The San Francisco 49ers have long established their strong defensive identity, and with Robert Saleh back at the helm

Saleh was fired midway through this past season in New York, but the Jets had a strong defense under his tenure.

Saleh had interviewed for three head coaching positions but had committed to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch that, should be not get another head coaching job, he would return to San Francisco as defensive coordinator,

Robert Saleh’s encore as 49ers defensive coordinator took on more likelihood as the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders hired others to fill their head coach vacancies.

Robert Saleh will be on the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline this upcoming season. The 49ers are set to bring back the former New York Jets head coach.

The San Francisco 49ers welcomed back a familiar face, re-hiring Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator. However, one former player who once thrived under Saleh’s leadership will have to watch from across the country as the reunion unfolds.

The San Francisco 49ers continue to make sweeping changes across the coaching staff as they prepare to do the same with the roster as free agency and the NFL Draft approach.

New York Jets' linebacker Jamien Sherwood is a natural fit for the aggressive, high-speed defensive system the San Francisco 49ers employ.