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Nick Wagoner
Multiple Authors
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers are set to hire Raheem Morris as their new defensive coordinator, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.
Morris will be the fifth coordinator in as many years, taking over for Robert Saleh, who has moved on to become the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.
This marks the second consecutive year in which the Niners navigated the head coaching hiring cycle before securing their coach. Last year, they bided their time waiting for Saleh while he garnered interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
Morris was a finalist for the Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching position, which ultimately went to Mike LaFleur, the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.
Morris shares a close friendship with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan from their past coaching experiences at Tampa Bay (2004-05), Washington (2012), and the Atlanta Falcons in 2015-16.
The Niners welcome Morris after his two-year stint with Atlanta as head coach, a role he previously held in Tampa Bay from 2009 to 2011.
This will mark Morris’ third role as a defensive coordinator, having previously held the position in Atlanta in 2020 and with the Los Angeles Rams from 2021 to 2023.
Morris coordinated a Rams defense that secured a victory in Super Bowl LVI.
In search of stability, the Niners are keen to settle their coordinator situation after cycling through DeMeco Ryans, Steve Wilks, Nick Sorensen, and Saleh in the last four years.
“I really don’t want to do this for a fifth consecutive year,” Shanahan remarked on Jan. 21. “I would much prefer to go on vacation, but these D-coordinators keep making my family frustrated with the wait.”
although injuries sidelining key players like defensive end Nick Bosa (ACL) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle), Saleh’s defense managed to rank 13th in points allowed and 20th in total yards allowed in 2025.
At his season-ending press conference, Shanahan noted that defensive assistant Gus Bradley was the primary in-house prospect. While Bradley interviewed for the role, Morris moved to the forefront when he was not hired elsewhere.
The 49ers also considered former Browns, Saints, and Broncos defensive coordinator Joe Woods for the position.
