The San Francisco 49ers welcomed back a familiar face, re-hiring Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator. However, one former player who once thrived under Saleh’s leadership will have to watch from across the country as the reunion unfolds.

Robert Saleh cannot personally create turnovers, rush the passer or stop the run. His return as the 49ers’ D-coordinator is no guarantee of success.

Saleh, who was fired in October as the New York Jets head coach five games into his fourth season, generated interest on the head-coaching front and was seen as one of the frontrunners for the Jacksonville Jaguars job. He also interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

The San Francisco 49ers have long established their strong defensive identity, and with Robert Saleh back at the helm

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.

Later on Thursday, then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen had a change of heart, the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly moved to hire him as head coach and Saleh, who told Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch that he’d return to the 49ers if he didn’t get a head-coaching job, stayed true to his promise.

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.

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.