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We all knew it was a matter of time for Robert Saleh. For the better part of the last two years, it’s been abundantly clear that his time in Santa Clara would only be limited by the whims of NFL owners and executives. To be fair, those whims are just those: unpredictable.
But if Saleh does not get a head coaching offer this time around, it would be shocking. He is widely viewed, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Bienemy, as one of the premier names on the coaching market, and with six openings, well, the odds favor him not returning to the 49ers.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch revealed that Saleh has interviews lined up with at least three teams: Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Before joining the 49ers, Saleh spent three years (2014-16) as the linebacker coach in Jacksonville.
Kyle Shanahan said the team will consider inside linebackers coach DeMeco Ryans to replace Saleh, adding that he will be a defensive coordinator and head coach at some point in his career. He also said it’s not a requirement for prospective coordinators to stick to the current 4-3 scheme the team runs.
Saleh’s not alone in his potential departure, though, and we’re not talking about the few coaches (cough cough Mike Lafleur) he’ll likely steal from the current 49ers staff. It’s both the 49ers’ vice presidents of player personnel, Adam Peters and Martin Mayhew, who are interviewing for general manager jobs.
Peters, Lynch said, will interview for the Carolina Panthers’ general manager job. He is also a likely candidate to interview with the Denver Broncos after John Elway vacated the GM position on Monday. Peters spent the vast majority of his career (eight years, from 2009-16) in Denver before joining the 49ers and was Lynch’s first hire with the 49ers.
Lynch said the team is expecting Mayhew to interview for at least one general manager job. He said it’s more of a notification process than a request, in that the 49ers can’t block the opportunities.
