The San Francisco 49ers have lost their defensive coordinator, as Robert Saleh was hired by the New York Jets to be their new head coach, replacing Adam Gase.
Saleh had been the 49ers’ defensive coordinator since 2017.
San Francisco already knows who will replace Saleh to run the defense. The 49ers are expected to promote linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
With Robert Saleh gone, expect the #49ers to promote LBs coach DeMeco Ryans as their new defensive coordinator, source said. An impressive young coach.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 15, 2021
Ryans has only been coaching four seasons, all under Saleh with the 49ers. He was defensive quality control coach in 2017 and then was linebackers coach the last three seasons.
He will run a defense for the first time in his career.
Ryans is highly regarded but it will be his first time in charge of a defense. That might bode well or not for the Cardinals.
Arizona has twice in recent history had a rookie defensive coordinator. In 2015, James Bettcher was promoted to the job after Todd Bowles was hired by the Jets. The Cardinals had a top-10 defense and made to the NFC Championship Game.
They also saw the other side with Al Holcomb, who was a rookie DC under Steve Wilks in 2018. The Cardinals had one of the worst defenses in the league.
The Cardinals will get to test Ryans and his defense twice a year moving forward.
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