2026-01-20
49ers praise potential Robert Saleh defensive coordinator heir Gus Bradley
SANTA CLARA — On Monday, when Fred Warner spoke to the media, the 49ers linebacker still had hope that Robert Saleh would remain the team’s defensive coordinator in 2026, but that was not to be. “It would suck a lot,” Warner said of his coordinator’s possible departure. “But of course, I always think of Saleh, the man and the relationship that we have, and of course I want him to have that opportunity again, but selfishly, of course I want him to stay here as well and have a chance at going and wining this thing next season. We will see. Time will tell.”Less than 10 hours later, at approximately 9:00 p.m. PT on Monday evening, news broke that Saleh reportedly is finalizing a deal to become the Tennessee Titans head coach. The 49ers will go through the appropriate procedures to hire their next defensive coordinator, but they do have a candidate already in the building. During the 2025 offseason, general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan planned ahead by hiring Gus Bradley as their assistant head coach of defense. “He is the original storyteller,” Warner said of Bradley with a smile. “For years, I heard Saleh telling those same stories, even DeMeco kind of adopted those when he was a DC here. Then to have Gus come in, and start telling the stories, now you see where truly where those stories originated.“Great positive energy to have around the building. He’s been doing it for such a long time and just a great piece for us to have.”Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir also is a fan of Bradley, who has been coaching in the NFL since 2006, starting as a linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The long-time coach has been a resource for Lenoir. “Gus is great,” Lenoir said. “Gus helped us a lot, just figuring out stuff in the strike zone areas. He was in charge of the red zone. Hs just had so much knowledge for us.” Bradley has an extensive experience as a defensive coordinator, coaching for several teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts. The North Dakota State alum also was a head coach from 2013-2016 for the Jacksonville Jaguars. As much as Lenoir enjoys Bradley, Saleh’s shoes will be tough to fill. “Just having a guy like Saleh, he was so energetic coming off from when we first met him,” Lenoir said. “Just playing for him, it was a blessing, just to learn. He’s really defensive mastermind. Despite what we had going, losing the last game, I think he is still one of the best to do it.” Saleh might have made the biggest impact on the 49ers rookies during his one-season reunion with San Francisco. First-round pick Mykel Williams’ season was cut short by an ACL injury in Week 9, but the defensive lineman still felt the effect of Saleh in the building. “Saleh definitely has made my knowledge of the game grow more,” Williams said. “The way he breaks down the game in the meetings and tells us different tendencies and different things to look for in offenses. I hope he’s here, but if he’s not, it’s the nature of the beast, part of the game.” Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast