The San Francisco 49ers have brought back a fan-favorite and familiar face, as Robert Saleh returns to the team as defensive coordinator.

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.

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.

Robert Saleh is returning to the 49ers. The ex-Jets coach will be the defensive coordinator for San Francisco again.

Robert Saleh is back in the place where he truly made a name for himself as one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers announced on Friday night that they have hired Saleh as their defensive coordinator, reuniting with the coach who previously spent four years in that role from 2017-2020.

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.

The San Francisco 49ers hired Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive coordinator on Friday night after a failed tenure as head coach of the New York Jets.

A day after The Athletic reported that the San Francisco 49ers were about to stage a reunion with Robert Saleh, the club announced Friday that the former New York Jets head coach is returning to his old job as defensive coordinator.

Robert Saleh has been a popular name mentioned as a potential candidate to succeed Aaron Glenn as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. The former New York Jets head coach is a Detroit native who was a finalist for becoming the Lions’ head coach when the team hired Dan Campbell.

Robert Saleh and the 49ers were waiting for the former Jets head coach to be out of the mix for head coaching jobs before making his hire official.

There’s an interesting wrinkle to the San Francisco 49ers’ re-acquisition of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. While they’re gaining an experienced defensive coordinator with a strong track record, they may also gain another opportunity to secure a pair of third-round draft picks if he’s hired to be another team’s head coach.