Blog Post

49ers Find New DC, Saleh Jets For New York Head Coaching Job

Brad Graham • January 15, 2021

Robert Saleh heads east and will land with Jets.

Reports surfaced tonight from Josina Anderson that now former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will become the next head coach of the New York Jets.

Former #49ers DC Robert Saleh will become the #Jets next Head Coach, per @JosinaAnderson.

Thank you, Coach Saleh! 😭 pic.twitter.com/KIeQE95C2V
— 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓢𝓕𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓼 (@TheSFNiners) January 15, 2021

Right as Niners fans began to feel sadness consume them, Ian Rapoport delivered us a gift.

The #49ers plan to promote LB coach DeMeco Ryans to Defensive Coordinator, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/SQPW4re9QX
— 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓢𝓕𝓝𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓼 (@TheSFNiners) January 15, 2021

49ers' new defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has been on the 49ers coaching staff since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch entered the picture in 2017.

Ryans started out as a defensive quality control coach in '17 and then was promoted to Inside LBs coach the following season, where he has been ever since.

Personally, this was the replacement for Saleh that I was hoping for. I am always in favor for promoting from within. This allows us to keep continuity within the scheme which translates to more comfort for everyone in the building. I am sure Ryans will put his own flavor on this defense but the base concepts and language will likely remain the same.

Ryans was a former All-World NFL LB himself. I am sure a lot of people can look at Ryans and see that he has fingerprints all over Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw's development.

I am excited to see what he can do with a healthy group in 2021.

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