There may be a Robert Saleh reunion on the West Coast.
The 49ers are “expected” to offer their open defensive coordinator job to Saleh, according to Josina Anderson, a position he held with the franchise before becoming head coach of the Jets.
First, however, Saleh will meet with the Jaguars and Raiders next week about their head coaching vacancies.
Saleh was fired by the Jets after a 2-3 start to the season, ending his first stint as a head coach after three-plus seasons, finishing with a 20-36 record.
The 49ers are seeking a new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Nick Sorensen, whose unit struggled this past season, finishing 29th in points allowed as the team fell well short of its Super Bowl aspirations with a 6-11 record.
It marks the first time in four years the team failed to reach at least the NFC Championship game.
Saleh, who led the 49ers’ defense from 2017-20, earned widespread recognition for orchestrating one of the league’s top defensive units, highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance in the 2019 season.
Despite his challenges as a head coach, Saleh’s reputation as a defensive strategist remains strong.
His prior success with the 49ers included developing a defense that ranked among the top five in the NFL in 2019 and 2020.
If Saleh hopes to land another head coaching job, he’ll have his work cut out for him in a busy cycle flooded with candidates.
Former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo are among those with multiple interviews for the six head coach openings.
If it doesn’t work out for Saleh to land a top gig, he may just have a fallback option awaiting him.
