49ers GM Lynch backs DC Sorensen amid Saleh reunion speculation originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
John Lynch is fully behind 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen following the New York Jets’ decision to fire coach Robert Saleh.
On Wednesday, during a conversation on KNBR’s “Murph & Markus,” the 49ers general manager shut down the idea of Saleh reuniting with coach Kyle Shanahan and retaking San Francisco’s defensive coordinator role anytime soon, despite the team’s evident defensive struggles.
“Nick is our coordinator, and I think Nick’s doing a really good job coaching,” Lynch said (h/t 49erswebzone.com’s David Bonilla). “The results haven’t been what we wanted, and this is a results-oriented business.
“Nick understands that. We all understand that. But I watch with the fine-tuned eye, and I think he was the right choice when we chose him. I believe even more strongly in that.”
Lynch and Shanahan hired Saleh as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator when they joined the organization in 2017 before leaving for the Jets in 2021.
Following a tough 2023 season under Steve Wilks, Sorensen was promoted from within this year to be defensive coordinator.
But it’s been all but an ideal start for Sorenson and Co., with San Francisco seeing their points allowed per game rise from 17.5 last season to 21.2 points in the first five games.
As a result, it didn’t take long for the Faithful to start pleading for Saleh’s return. Lynch, however, is confident, that through communication and unity, the 49ers’ defense will soon bounce back.
“I think we’ve just got to come together as a unit,” Lynch added. “We have endured some injuries, some things of that nature, but ultimately, we’ve got to pull together. I think, in the last couple weeks, just simple fundamentals, tackling.
“We want to play aggressive and swarm people, but ultimately, we’ve got to tackle the guy with the ball. We’ve got to take the ball away, gotta make the plays when the game’s on the line.
“But I do think our unit is well coordinated. Our schemes are sound. It’s a big week for everybody. We’ve gotta come together. We’ve gotta find a way, and we gotta forge our identity, who we wanna be as this team. And I love the character in our organization. We’ve put ourselves in a tough hole. We’ve been here before, and we’ve come out of it.”
Lynch shared he was quick to contact his friend Saleh shortly after his dismissal on Tuesday morning.
“First of all, my heart goes out to Robert,” Lynch said. “And I talked with Rob yesterday. He’s a great friend. He always will be. His family, they’re great friends. And that was tough. He did a lot of good things there. He couldn’t get it over the hump, and they made a tough call.”
Although Saleh is expected to sit out the remainder of the season, Lynch knows his former defensive coordinator’s qualities and experience will help him settle in somewhere when he decides to come make a return.
“He’ll be okay,” Lynch continued. “He’s a really good football coach, really good human being, and he’s got a lot of ties here.”
For now, that won’t be the 49ers.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
This embedded content is not available in your region.
