Robert Saleh, who ran the Niners' defense from 2017 to 2020, is heading back to San Francisco for the same role after a three-plus-year stint as Jets coach.

The 49ers have brought back Robert Saleh, fired as Jets head coach this season, in the defensive coordinator role he held for San Francisco from 2017-2021.

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

Robert Saleh, who was fired by the Jets during the season, was hired by the 49ers for second stint as the team’s defensive coordinator on Friday night.

When Saleh left the 49ers for the Jets after the 2020 season, the 49ers knew linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans was going to step into that role and he did so with rousing success. He wound up only working as the 49ers’ DC for two years before landing the head coaching job with the Houston Texans.

Robert Saleh is heading back to San Francisco. Saleh and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a contract for him to return as the team's

The San Francisco 49ers are welcoming back a familiar face. Robert Saleh is returning to be their defensive coordinator. Saleh previously was their defensive coordinator from 2017-2020 before leaving to become the head coach of the New York Jets.

The San Francisco 49ers are bringing back Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive coordinator after a failed tenure as head coach of the New York Jets, a person familiar with the choice told The Associated Press.

Saleh was fired as the Jets’ coach five games into this season and is now back with the 49ers, where he made his name in the NFL.

The 49ers are going all-in for a Robert Saleh reunion. The former New York Jets head coach has an offer on the table from San Francisco to become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

(AP) — The San Francisco 49ers hired Robert Saleh for a second stint ... in four seasons for San Francisco. DeMeco Ryans, who replaced Saleh in 2021, left to become head coach in Houston ...