The San Francisco 49ers will soon shift their focus to the offseason and improving their roster. Much of that will involve scouting and preparing for the draft.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Friday that he expects the 49ers to be asked to coach the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
"We haven't been approached, but I'm sure it's coming," Shanahan said. "You have mixed emotions about it, especially as a coach. But it's something that you never turn down. It's an advantage for you.
"Any little thing helps if you can find out more about one guy, whether it affects the seventh-round pick or free agent, you go for (it).
"It's always worth it. It's something that if that opportunity happens, we'll be there."
The coaching invites for the Senior Bowl will be determined on Monday by the NFL. Typically, teams with the worst two records are given the first opportunities to coach the game.
The all-star college football exhibition game will be played on January 26, 2019, at Ladd–Peebles Stadium, and is an excellent opportunity for coaches and NFL executives to get a closer look at prospects entering the draft.
The last time the 49ers coached the Senior Bowl was in 2008 when Mike Nolan was the head coach. Nolan's South squad won the game 17-16.
Shanahan was part of the staff that coached the Senior Bowl in 2012 when his father, Mike Shanahan, was the head coach of the Washington Redskins. Kyle Shanahan served as the offensive coordinator. He was also the offensive quality control coordinator for the Buccaneers when Jon Gruden and Tampa Bay coached the South squad in 2005.
Two players of potential interest to the #49ers who have already accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl: Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen, and Louisiana Tech's Jaylon Ferguson, who set the NCAA record for most career sacks.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) December 28, 2018