The Atlanta Falcons interviewed San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on Monday. The interviewee was conducted at a distance.
Earlier in the day, the Falcons interviewed Eric Bieniemy, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator.
Saleh is finishing his fourth season as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. Under Saleh in 2020, San Francisco’s defense ranked 5th in the league in total attack yards allowed per game (314.4), fourth in average pass yards allowed (207.9), is tied at seventh in total running yards allowed per game (106.4) and is allowing 24.4 points per game. The 49ers also have 20 takeaways this season, despite suffering several major injuries on that side of the ball.
The 49ers, who won the NFC championship and advanced to Super Bowl LIV in 2019, finished the year in 2nd place in total defense and 8th in defense of scoring.
Before joining the San Francisco coaching staff, Saleh spent three seasons as coach of the 2014-16 Jacksonville Jaguars linebackers. Prior to that, he was a defensive quality control coach with the 2011-13 Seattle Seahawks. Saleh’s coaching career began in Houston, where he was a coaching intern, defense assistant and assistant coach of linebackers for the 2005-10 Texans.
From Monday, personal interviews can begin for coach and general manager positions with candidates who are not NFL club employees or whose club is not participating in the postseason.
Virtual interviews for all senior coaching positions can begin with coaches whose clubs bid farewell in the first week of the playoffs and can continue until the wild card games conclude on January 10.
Virtual interviews for high-level club employees and secondary football executive positions can begin. As soon as the candidate’s employing club is eliminated from the playoffs, personal interviews can begin.