San Francisco 49ers: Will Kyle Shanahan Be The New Coach?

The lead candidate for head coach of the San Francisco 49ers is Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. His second interview is on Sunday after the NFC Championship game.

The San Francisco 49ers are still on the search for their new head coach and general manager. Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan (recently named Assistant Coach of the Year) looks to be the one to take the reins for next season. Recently, Josh McDaniels from the Patriots has bowed out of the race for personal reasons, leaving Shanahan the main target for San Francisco.

Following Atlanta’s powerful offensive performance on Sunday, Shanahan has some serious leverage to obtain some serious money. He will have a second interview with the 49ers on Sunday after the NFC Championship game. The 49ers have made it known they are willing to wait if Atlanta proceeds to the Super Bowl but will more than likely make some kind of offer during the meeting on Sunday.

Although San Francisco may not look like much on the outside, it does come with a lot of upside for Shanahan. Following a 2-14 record in 2016, the bar has been set pretty low. Shanahan has paid his dues with his nine years as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. His offenses has been placed in the top-10 in six of those seasons.

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Shanahan has also proven that he has the ability to help develop quarterbacks to high-performance levels, given his experience with Washington Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins and more recently, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. It is also a possibility that if given the head coach position, Shanahan could opt to make a move for Cousins in replacement of Colin Kaepernick.

One thing that Shanahan will also have on his side is time. The 49ers will have to offer him a multi-year contract and fulfill it, unlike the past two seasons. Owner Jed York has made it known he wants to have a culture change and bring the franchise back to glory. However, he has also learned, the hard way, it will take more than one season to do that.

Another point for Shanahan is that he has the second pick in the NFL draft, and he will have a lot of say on who they choose to draft. It could be a quarterback to develop, or possibly a trade down in order to obtain more picks. It is no secret that the quarterback class for this draft is rather lackluster, so one strategy might be to shop around the NFL or decide on another position to help fulfill. It’s also no secret that the quarterback position is not the only need to fill on San Francisco’s roster.

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However, with Atlanta having a chance at the Super Bowl, Shanahan’s mind is focused on the game ahead against Green Bay. Depending on how that game goes, Shanahan could decide it is time to jump in the driver seat for coaching. Or, he might want to take one more season to think about it and see what is going to be out there next year. 49er fans will have to continue to hold their breath until the ink is on the paper.