Robert Saleh and the 49ers were waiting for the former Jets head coach to be out of the mix for head coaching jobs before making his hire official. The Raiders hiring of Pete Carroll and the Cowboys promotion of Brian Schottenheimer on Friday made it official.

Saleh will return to San Francisco as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, the team announced.

He interviewed with the Cowboys, Jaguars and Raiders and appeared a front-runner for the job in Jacksonville. Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen began negotiating with the team again Thursday after they fired General Manager Trent Baalke.

Saleh canceled his flight to Jacksonville late Thursday for a second interview scheduled for Friday, and the Jaguars hired Coen.

Saleh spent four-plus seasons as the Jets’ head coach, going 20-36 in his time in New York. The team fired him five games into the 2024 season.

Saleh initially joined the 49ers in 2017, and his “all gas, no brake” defense became one of the top units in the league within two years. His work in San Francisco landed him the Jets’ job, and it could lead to a second opportunity as a head coach after the 2025 season.