SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers are hiring former Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris as their next defensive coordinator in hopes of finding a long-term solution to a revolving door at the spot.
A person familiar with the decision said Sunday that Morris will join the 49ers to replace Robert Saleh, who left San Francisco after one season in his second stint as defensive coordinator to take over as head coach for the Tennessee Titans.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the hiring. ESPN first reported the decision.
Morris had long been viewed as a strong potential candidate because of his success as a coordinator and his ties to San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan. Morris and Shanahan were on staffs together as assistants for the Buccaneers in 2004-05, the Washington Redskins in 2012-13 and the Falcons in 2015-16.
Shanahan had initially tried to get Morris on his original staff in San Francisco in 2017, only to be blocked by Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn. Shanahan has also long praised Morris’ ability as a defensive coach.