It’s not a surprise that 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s name surfaced early on the Monday after the end of the NFL’s regular season. With head coaching jobs opening in several places, Saleh, the orchestrator of the NFL’s best pass defense, was sure to become a popular name for those teams with coaching vacancies.
Reports of the Cleveland Browns’ interest in Saleh were confirmed Monday afternoon in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s conference call. Shanahan confirmed to reporters that the Browns’ request to interview Saleh was the only interview request he received, and said the request came at an ideal time.
“It’s actually a perfect situation for Saleh like it was for me because I was fortunate to have the Bye week, also,” Shanahan said of his interview with the 49ers in 2017. “When you have a Bye week, we’re going to get a couple days off at the end of this week. That’s the only thing that stinks for Saleh because he won’t get those days off because he’ll be preparing for an interview one day and then probably doing the interview the next day. But, it’s perfect when you’ve got the Bye week because we’ve got the time to do it. Usually those two days happen and then it’s over. I don’t even think they’re allowed to talk to the guy after that. We’re working every single day getting ready for the playoff game.”
Instead of Saleh going to Cleveland, Browns brass will fly to the Bay Area to save travel time for the 49ers’ defensive coordinator as he prepares for their playoff matchup.
While the 49ers would certainly like to retain Saleh after finishing No. 8 in points allowed and No. 2 in yards allowed in 2019, Shanahan said he’s excited for the opportunity for Saleh.
“I’m pumped for Saleh to get this opportunity,” Shanahan said. “(Browns owners) Mr. and Mrs. Haslam are great people and I think they’re great people to work for. We’ll see how the interview goes for him.”
Saleh, 40, broke into the NFL with an internship on the Houston Texans’ staff in 2005. He became a defensive quality control coach for three seasons, before getting promoted to assistant linebackers coach for two years. He took a defensive quality control job in Seattle from 2011 to 2013, then moved on to the Jacksonville Jaguars where he coached linebackers until signing on as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator in 2017.
While most NFL head coaching searches revolve round offensive thinkers, smart, young, defensive minds that are forward-thinking in thwarting some of the NFL’s high-octane attacks can be equally as valuable.
The 49ers made a massive leap in 2019 after struggling for a couple years under Saleh. They improved across the board this season, and their defensive dominance sparked their 8-0 start en route to a 13-3 finish and an NFC West championship.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if teams start trying to pick off some of the 49ers’ offensive assistants as well for head coach or offensive coordinator gigs. Those assistants could be some of Saleh’s first targets if he does land a head-coaching job.
For now though, the 49ers have their entire coaching staff intact, and will for at least as long as they play in the postseason.