But Saleh has changed course.
According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Saleh is now expected to go in a different direction to fill his defensive line coach vacancy. The 49ers were prepared to lose assistant defensive line coach Greg Scruggs to the Titans on Sunday morning. But Saleh is now evaluating other options.
NBC Sports Bay Area initially reported Sunday morning that Saleh was taking Scruggs with him to Tennessee. That changed. Another source told Maiocco that Saleh is still evaluating his options. He now appears to be heading in a different direction.
The Titans announced Saleh as their new head coach Thursday. Saleh and the Titans agreed on a five-year contract. He spent this past season as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.
Greg Scruggs’ History With Robert Saleh
Scruggs has a long history with Saleh.
He played under Saleh with the Seattle Seahawks and was with Saleh in New York for a season with the Jets before spending this past season with Saleh in San Francisco as the assistant defensive line coach.
Given that history, it made sense that Saleh would bring Scruggs with him to Tennessee. The two have worked together multiple times, and Scruggs knows Saleh’s system well. He would have been a logical hire to help install the defensive scheme in Tennessee.
But Saleh has decided to pursue other candidates for the defensive line coach position. The reasons for the change are unclear, but it appears Saleh is still evaluating his options and has not finalized his coaching staff.
What This Means for the 49ers
The 49ers gave Saleh permission to hire Scruggs, which means San Francisco was prepared to lose him.
Losing an assistant coach is never ideal, but it is part of the business when a coordinator leaves for a head-coaching job. The 49ers understood that Saleh might want to bring some of his staff with him, and they were willing to allow Scruggs to leave if that was the case.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has said he believes Gus Bradley is the “obvious in-house candidate” to replace Saleh as defensive coordinator. Bradley has extensive experience as a coordinator and head coach, having spent time with Seattle, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Indianapolis in various roles.
If Bradley is promoted, he will have a large pool of candidates to select from for position coach roles. His experience across multiple organizations gives him connections throughout the league.
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