Former Wildcat football player and Northern Michigan University alumnus Robert Saleh has returned to the San Francisco 49ers as defensive coordinator. Saleh had previously worked with the 49ers from 2017-2020, then served as head coach of the New York Jets for three seasons. The Dearborn native attended Northern Michigan University, where he started at tight end for four years and earned all-conference honors before graduating with a bachelor's degree in financial management in 2001.
Saleh began his coaching career in the collegiate ranks, serving as a defensive assistant on the staffs of Michigan State University, Central Michigan University and the University of Georgia. Before joining San Francisco, Saleh spent three seasons as linebackers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and three seasons as defensive quality control for the Seattle Seahawks, where he was a part of the Super Bowl XLVIII winning staff.