Quote: “I will be very surprised if we don’t lose (Saleh),” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Sunday. “I don’t know what’s wrong with people if they don’t hire him. He’s as good as you can get, knows more about football, all three phases, and he’s going to hire the best staff, he knows about players, he knows what they’re talking about, who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. He also knows how to deal with people. I hope everyone’s not very smart and doesn’t hire him so I can keep him, but I’m expecting not to have him.”
Tim Twentyman’s take: We all know fixing Detroit’s defense in 2021 is job No. 1 for the new GM and head coach. Who better for the task than a coach like Saleh, with a proven track record on the defensive side of the ball, and who seems to be a terrific motivator. There was a disconnect between the old regime and the locker room. This time around, the Lions need a good communicator and leader, and those seem to be some of Saleh’s strongest traits.
Mike O’Hara’s take: Like most candidates looking to be a head coach for the first time, Saleh has made the necessary stops to fill out his resume – from grad assistant in college to quality control and position coach in the NFL and finally as coordinator of the 49ers the last four seasons. Saleh is highly regarded in NFL circles as one of the young coaches destined to move up to head coach. The energy he displays is transmitted to his players, and the results reflect that. The 49ers had a disappointing 6-10 won-loss record and were hit hard by injuries on defense, but the defense ranked fifth in yards allowed (314.4 per game), fourth in passing yards (207.7) and seventh in rushing (106.4).
