The San Francisco 49ers began their search for a new defensive coordinator by interviewing Robert Saleh for a second stint at the job and Detroit Lions assistant Deshea Townsend.

Townsend is a former longtime Steelers cornerback who has managed secondaries across the NFL over the last decade. He has been a defensive backs coach for the Titans (2016-17), Giants (2018, assistant), Bears (2019-21), Jaguars (2022-23) and Lions (2024). The last two stops have included duties as the defensive passing game coordinator.

The San Francisco 49ers announced the completion of two interviews for their vacant defensive coordinator position. The candidates were Robert Saleh, former New York Jets head coach and ex-49ers defensive coordinator,

The 49ers completed interviews with Robert Saleh and Deshea Townsend for their vacant defensive coordinator position, per a team announcement and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Saleh was fired as the Jets head coach in October and previously served as the 49ers defensive coordinator for four seasons.

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t wasting any time getting their defensive coordinator interviews done. On Thursday the team announced they completed two interviews for that position, including their former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh,

One option for the former head coach could be the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as the defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2020. The Niners completed an interview with Saleh for the DC spot on Thursday,