Former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker coach named 49ers DC
By Luke Sims
Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley still has coattails it would seem as the San Francisco 49ers tap former Jags linebackers coach Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator.
One of the few bright spots in the Gus Bradley defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars were the linebackers. Telvin Smith and Paul Posluszny often shined in that defense, quickly flying to the ball and ending plays.
Robert Saleh, former Jags linebackers coach, deserves a lot of credit for cultivating a winning linebacker corps despite some truly horrendous defenses on the whole. Saleh followed Bradley to Jacksonville from the Seattle Seahawks and has now done enough to get his first gig as a defensive coordinator.
The San Francisco 49ers named Saleh their new defensive coordinator following the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as head coach. Shanahan and Saleh were together in Houston back in 2008 and 2009.
Shanahan has been behind the eight ball since his hiring following the 2017 Super Bowl. The former offensive coordinator is picking through the leftovers of the coaching ranks after other teams have already solidified staffs for next season. Saleh’s jump to coordinator may be well deserved but it could also prove costly as he takes his first stab at the role, joining a first-time head coach and general manager in John Lynch.
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For the Jaguars, Saleh was no longer a factor. Mark Collins was hired as the linebackers coach in January and will be heading up the unit under defensive coordinator Todd Wash. Wash made the change despite serving as coordinator the year before under Bradley as well. It will be interesting to see what Wash and Collins do with the fast, talented group the Jags have assembled in the linebacker corps.