Robert Saleh has been the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator for five of the past nine years, including during the 2025 NFL season. He is set for a new challenge next season after accepting the job as head coach of the Tennessee Titans. The 49ers must now seek a replacement, and a former head coach has emerged as an intriguing candidate to do so.
Which Former Head Coach Have the 49ers Been Linked to As Robert Saleh’s Replacement?
Saleh achieved considerable success as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator for four years before becoming the New York Jets’ head coach for four seasons. He returned to San Francisco for the 2025 season, and after another strong performance, earned another shot at being a head coach, this time with the Titans.
The franchise is now looking for a replacement to lead their defense under head coach Kyle Shanahan. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler linked them to some familiar names and former head coaches in a recent report addressing the situation.
“Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that senior assistant Gus Bradley is a strong candidate for the job, calling him the ‘obvious’ choice. Tennessee might also have interest in Bradley, and he can’t be blocked from leaving because he’s not currently a coordinator. But Bradley staying in San Francisco seems like a sensible move at this point. Raheem Morris is also an attractive option there,” reported Fowler.
Gus Bradley is apparently a name to keep a close eye on during the 2026 NFL offseason. Fowler labeled him as the obvious choice for the 49ers defensive coordinator, but they could be competing with their former one, as Saleh may desire him for the same role in Tennessee. He has connections to both of them and was formerly a head coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, so their reported interest makes sense.
Apesar da torcida na coletiva de encerramento do ano o Kyle Shanahan praticamente confirmou que o novo DC será o Gus Bradley mesmo.
Como diria o filósofo @49ersBrasil_ : É galera….
Se for isso mesmo será uma oportunidade desperdiçada. Ainda mais que o próprio Shanahan disse… https://t.co/3fXtqiNSz8
— Allan Basso (@Endzone51) January 23, 2026
Fowler also named Raheem Morris, who was fired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach this year, as a potential replacement for Saleh as well. His previous success as a defensive coordinator, mostly with the Los Angeles Rams, is essentially what earned him a shot at being a head coach.
Saleh helped the 49ers’ defense rank among the top eight teams in PFSN’s Impact Rankings twice in his five years as their defensive coordinator. The 2025 season was not one of them, but managing a unit without its two best players, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, was apparently impressive enough to earn him the job as Titans head coach.
