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 brought back a fan-favorite and familiar face, as Robert Saleh returns to the team as defensive coordinator.

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

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.

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

Robert Saleh is expected to return to the 49ers as their defensive coordinator if he doesn't become a head coach according to The Athletic and NBC Sports Bay Area.

Brant Boyer was announced Monday as the 49ers’ new special teams coordinator, a role he held the past nine season with the Jets, where he overlapped and worked under coach Robert Saleh, who was re-hired Friday as the 49ers’ 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.

Could the San Francisco 49ers bolster their defense around new coordinator Robert Saleh thanks to his New York Jets ties?

Robert Saleh didn’t get the job he wanted, but the job he accepted could lead to a gig he desires next year. Saleh rejoined the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator Friday and the announcement was made shortly after the last of the three head-coaching openings for which he was a candidate was filled.

Saleh was previously the 49ers defensive coordinator from 2017–20 until taking the head coaching job with the New York Jets.