49ers Hire Raheem Morris as Defensive Coordinator

Former Falcons head coach joins San Francisco to replace Robert Saleh

Feb. 1, 2026 at 6:31pm

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The San Francisco 49ers are hiring former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris as their new defensive coordinator, replacing Robert Saleh who left to become head coach of the Tennessee Titans. Morris has extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach, and previously worked with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

Why it matters

The 49ers have had a revolving door at defensive coordinator in recent years, with Saleh being the fifth DC in five seasons. Hiring an experienced and proven coordinator like Morris could provide some much-needed stability on that side of the ball as the team looks to build on its recent success.

The details

Morris was fired by the Falcons last month after back-to-back 8-9 seasons as head coach. However, he had a successful three-year run as defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021-2023, helping the team win the Super Bowl in his first season. Morris has also served as a head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and as an interim head coach for the Falcons.

  • Morris was fired by the Falcons last month.
  • He previously served as the Rams' defensive coordinator from 2021-2023.

The players

Raheem Morris

Former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who has been hired as the new defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kyle Shanahan

Head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, who previously worked with Morris on coaching staffs in Tampa, Washington, and Atlanta.

Robert Saleh

Former defensive coordinator for the 49ers, who left to become head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

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The takeaway

The 49ers are hoping that Raheem Morris' extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach, as well as his prior working relationship with Kyle Shanahan, will provide some much-needed stability to their defense after several years of turnover at the coordinator position.