The San Francisco 49ers are bolstering their coaching staff with another former head coach and defensive coordinator.
NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Friday reported long-time defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is joining defensive coordinator Robert Saleh on the 49ers defensive coaching staff.
It’s unclear exactly what Bradley’s role will be, but he has deep ties to the Pete Carroll defense the 49ers want to run. He was also the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars while Robert Saleh was there as a linebackers coach.
Bradley got his first DC job in the NFL in 2009 on Jim Mora’s staff with the Seattle Seahawks. He stayed on in 2010 when Carroll took over as the head coach, and since then he’s been a DC with Seattle, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts. He helped oversee the great Legion of Boom defenses in Seattle, and also helped transform the Chargers defense into a top-10 unit in points allowed in 2017 and 2018.
Adding another experienced voice to the room should pay dividends as San Francisco looks for ways to adapt and change things defensively. Assistant head coach Brandon Staley has a similar role, but his background is not in the scheme Bradley runs.
Last season with the Colts, Bradley’s defense finished 29th in yards allowed and 24th in points allowed. They were seventh in total takeaways — an area the 49ers struggled with in 2024.