Feb. 3, 2026, 5:09 a.m. ET

Robert Saleh added another experienced coach to his initial coaching staff with the Tennessee Titans by landing San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach Gus Bradley as his defensive coordinator.

Saleh and Bradley have a long history, having served together on multiple staffs and in various coaching roles throughout their careers, with Saleh most recently with the 49ers. In fact, many believed Bradley was the frontrunner to replace Saleh when he took the Titans job, but instead, Kyle Shanahan hired Raheem Morris to take that job, freeing up Bradley to join Saleh in Nashville.

A versatile college football player, he began his coaching career at his alma mater, North Dakota State, in 1990 and has worked his way up the ladder, ultimately becoming head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he will now assist Saleh in building a dominant defense with the Titans.

Here are five things to know about the new defensive coordinator.

Veteran NFL coach

Bradley began his NFL career in 2006 as a quality control coach under Monte Kiffin with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which prepared him for his first defensive coordinator role with the Seattle Seahawks. In Seattle, he helped transform a pedestrian defense into the famed Legion of Boom, and parlayed that success into a head coaching job with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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While his time in Jacksonville didn’t go as he would have liked, and he was let go after less than four seasons, he bounced back with coordinator jobs with the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Indianapolis Colts before joining the 49ers as assistant head coach in 2025.

Gameplan expertise

When Bradley entered the NFL, Kiffin took him under his wing, and he played a significant role in developing game plans for the Buccaneers and later for the Seahawks. That experience ultimately led him to San Francisco in 2025, where he played a key role in developing game plans for both Saleh and Kyle Shanahan.

Breakout work with Seattle

After being hired by the Seahawks, he remained on two coaching staffs under Jim Mora and Pete Carroll and built the Seahawks defense into one of the best in the NFL. When he took over, the Seahawks ranked 24th in the league, and by the time he was done, they ranked 4th in total defense, and he parlayed that into his stint with the Jaguars.

AFC South familiarity

Not only was Bradley the Jaguars’ head coach from 2013 to 2016 (with a dismal 14-48 record), but he was also the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024. While Bradley hasn’t been able to recapture the success from Seattle, his familiarity with the division should help Saleh prepare for these matchups.

A quarterback in the family

Bradley’s son, Carter, was the starting quarterback for the South Alabama Jaguars from 2022 to 2023 and got a shot to play with the Raiders in 2024 and again with the 49ers in 2025. While he may not be a household name, it’s clear that football runs in the family bloodlines, and he could make his way to Nashville for a tryout during the offseason.