DC Candidates with Saleh Gone

Does it even matter, they'll just get poached away again......

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by father49er:
Probably interim until KJ has enough experience under his belt. Not a bad plan if Gus performs.

A whole season is not interim. If he is subpar then that is a season wasted.

KJ is not the option if you have a SB window still open….he's more for a new staff just building a contender

Originally posted by SFrush:

Originally posted by q0c0p:
Im good with gus Bradley. Obviously this was the plan the whole time. They knew saleh's time was limited. Gus is a good DC. He can run our system. Kj isnt ready yet. Demeco was here way longer before he became DC. Kj just started his coaching career not long ago

Bradley hasn't been a good DC since his days in Seattle. That was a long time ago.

He was pretty good with the Chargers. But still that was 5-7 years ago.

Good listen

Originally posted by Dr_Bill_Walsh:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by father49er:
Probably interim until KJ has enough experience under his belt. Not a bad plan if Gus performs.

A whole season is not interim. If he is subpar then that is a season wasted.

KJ is not the option if you have a SB window still open….he's more for a new staff just building a contender

Does this team have a SB window open right now, though?

Unlike the usual suspects, I'm being genuine, not snarky, because I actually don't know. This team is kind of in an awkward adolescent rock-and-hard-place phase right now. I like to think you put a healthy Bosa/Warner/Kittle/Williams on this team and they can still legitimately contend but I don't know—Aiyuk may have left a massive gap on our roster and our stars are pretty old now (outside of Brock, thankfully).

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Good listen

.@dieter and I are talking about Saleh's departure + who we think should replace himhttps://t.co/bcCozGI0HO

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 20, 2026

Dieter is the guy who writes for the Mercury News, right?

Has he ever actually called anything news-wise before anyone else? According to this thread (I can't listen right now) he's constantly pushing the "Schwartz to the 49ers will happen" narrative but not sure how trustworthy he actually is.

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Good listen

.@dieter and I are talking about Saleh's departure + who we think should replace himhttps://t.co/bcCozGI0HO

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 20, 2026

Dieter is the guy who writes for the Mercury News, right?

Has he ever actually called anything news-wise before anyone else? According to this thread (I can't listen right now) he's constantly pushing the "Schwartz to the 49ers will happen" narrative but not sure how trustworthy he actually is.

I think it's more or less to dudes who know enough about football and the 49ers having a convo. Dieter comes off as a bit arrogant, I do think he has some insider knowledge though. He didn't say Schwartz was gonna be the guy or anything.

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:

Originally posted by SFrush:

Originally posted by q0c0p:
Im good with gus Bradley. Obviously this was the plan the whole time. They knew saleh's time was limited. Gus is a good DC. He can run our system. Kj isnt ready yet. Demeco was here way longer before he became DC. Kj just started his coaching career not long ago

Bradley hasn't been a good DC since his days in Seattle. That was a long time ago.

He was pretty good with the Chargers. But still that was 5-7 years ago.

I still say that coaches can look good if they have the right players. If they get great players they can look great. You can only do so much with average talent. Coaches don't forget how to coach. Most actually learn more as they age.

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:

Originally posted by SFrush:

Originally posted by q0c0p:
Im good with gus Bradley. Obviously this was the plan the whole time. They knew saleh's time was limited. Gus is a good DC. He can run our system. Kj isnt ready yet. Demeco was here way longer before he became DC. Kj just started his coaching career not long ago

Bradley hasn't been a good DC since his days in Seattle. That was a long time ago.

He was pretty good with the Chargers. But still that was 5-7 years ago.

I still say that coaches can look good if they have the right players. If they get great players they can look great. You can only do so much with average talent. Coaches don't forget how to coach. Most actually learn more as they age.

Gus' scheme (and ours overall) has been based around having dogs on the DL who can't beat up anyone rushing 4 and playing some sort of C3 zone coverage. We don't have that anymore and need some sort of legit DC who can scheme up stuff and adapt. imo that's not Gus and it showed after the last 4 yrs of him being a DC.

I'm all for them interviewing some younger defensive minds that might innovate a little more….also I'm all for interviewing some guys that have proven to still be quality defensive minds.

let Gus hang around and be a storyteller or whatever. Let adapt and change a little here

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Good listen

.@dieter and I are talking about Saleh's departure + who we think should replace himhttps://t.co/bcCozGI0HO

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 20, 2026

Jake Who-chinson???

Originally posted by NYniner85:

????????????????????????: #49ers could be one to watch.

Raheem Morris is waiting out HC opportunities. If he doesn't land a head job, he's expected to draw multiple DC interviews, per @JFowlerESPN

Morris has strong ties to Kyle Shanahan in SF, plus Matt LaFleur (GB) and Dan Quinn (WSH).… pic.twitter.com/OBHHD3lHqs

— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) January 21, 2026

this would be cool, is there any chance he would keep our 4-3 going or would he do more hybrid 3-4 of what he had in Atlanta?

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by NYniner85:
Good listen

.@dieter and I are talking about Saleh's departure + who we think should replace himhttps://t.co/bcCozGI0HO

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) January 20, 2026

Jake Who-chinson???

IMO, Hutch and Dieter are two of the best out there in 49er discussion. Their draft stuff is great

Originally posted by NYniner85:

????????????????????????: #49ers could be one to watch.

Raheem Morris is waiting out HC opportunities. If he doesn't land a head job, he's expected to draw multiple DC interviews, per @JFowlerESPN

Morris has strong ties to Kyle Shanahan in SF, plus Matt LaFleur (GB) and Dan Quinn (WSH).… pic.twitter.com/OBHHD3lHqs

— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) January 21, 2026

Dude should go to Baltimore. MAH GAWD. The things he could do there. That said...

I ain't against my dude bringing himself here.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:

Originally posted by Fanaticofnfl:

Originally posted by SFrush:

Originally posted by q0c0p:
Im good with gus Bradley. Obviously this was the plan the whole time. They knew saleh's time was limited. Gus is a good DC. He can run our system. Kj isnt ready yet. Demeco was here way longer before he became DC. Kj just started his coaching career not long ago

Bradley hasn't been a good DC since his days in Seattle. That was a long time ago.

He was pretty good with the Chargers. But still that was 5-7 years ago.

I still say that coaches can look good if they have the right players. If they get great players they can look great. You can only do so much with average talent. Coaches don't forget how to coach. Most actually learn more as they age.

Gus' scheme (and ours overall) has been based around having dogs on the DL who can't beat up anyone rushing 4 and playing some sort of C3 zone coverage. We don't have that anymore and need some sort of legit DC who can scheme up stuff and adapt. imo that's not Gus and it showed after the last 4 yrs of him being a DC.

I'm all for them interviewing some younger defensive minds that might innovate a little more….also I'm all for interviewing some guys that have proven to still be quality defensive minds.

let Gus hang around and be a storyteller or whatever. Let adapt and change a little here

Most coaches have a system they love. Kyle loves his offense. Saleh loves his style of defense. Very few ever really change up from what they like. Maybe some just can't. When some team has an offense or defense that is really doing something different the rest of the league eventually figures out how to attack it but it doesn't happen overnight. That's when we start seeing more new coaches with different ideas.