Robert Saleh appears to be heading back to a familiar place.

The ex-Jets head coach is expected to become the next defensive coordinator of the 49ers, The Athletic reported Thursday night.

If a deal is completed, it will bring Saleh, 45, back to San Francisco, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2017-20.

Saleh was among the candidates for the Jaguars’ head coaching job, and he was expected to have a second interview Friday.

Nonetheless, after Trent Baalke was dismissed as the Jaguars’ general manager, the team held a clandestine meeting with Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen. Coen had previously withdrawn himself from consideration for the head coaching position in Jacksonville.

Now, though, Coen is back in play, and with that, Saleh canceled his flight to Jacksonville, per The Athletic.

Saleh was also a candidate for the Raiders and Cowboys, interviewing with Dallas in person last week.

During his initial tenure in San Francisco, Coen played a pivotal role in reshaping the team’s defense. His efforts led to an impressive Super Bowl appearance in the 2019-2020 season.

In just two seasons, the 49ers, who had ranked among the NFL’s bottom teams in yards allowed per game at 351.6, underwent a remarkable transformation. They surged to second place in the same category at 281.8 yards as they secured the NFC championship.

Saleh parlayed his defensive prowess into the Jets head coaching job in 2021, but the same success did not follow.

After three straight losing seasons and a 2-3 start in 2024, Saleh was fired and replaced with Jeff Ulbrich on an interim basis.

Saleh then worked as an offensive consultant for the Packers for the rest of the year following his ouster.

This past season also represented a down year for the 49ers, who went 6-11 and finished last in the NFC West — just one season removed from another Super Bowl loss.

In the days after the season, the team created its defensive coordinator need when it decided to remove Nick Sorensen after one year, though the 49ers hoped to retain him in a different capacity.

However, NBC Sports Bay Area reported Thursday that Sorensen is not expected to stay with the organization.