ESPN's Ben Solak recently took on the challenging task of ranking all 32 NFL coaching staffs. Unlike evaluating players, where metrics support the process, assessing coaches is more complex. The win-loss record is the most obvious but not necessarily the fairest measure. Solak himself acknowledged the difficulty of this exercise.
"I tried to not just rank teams on win-loss record or on reputation but consider with which staff I would start my franchise, if given the opportunity to draft any group in the league," Solak explained.
Ranking the 49ers' coaching staff posed a unique challenge. At the top is head coach Kyle Shanahan, who also serves as the offensive coordinator, calling plays on game days. While Nick Sorensen brings a wealth of coaching experience, he's a first-time defensive coordinator, and a coach Solak admits he knows little about.
"Shanahan has a proven history in identifying rising defensive talent (Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans), so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here," Solak wrote. "But if we make Sorensen to largely be a question mark, and if we make having no offensive coordinator to also be a question mark (seems fair), then we're ranking the San Francisco coaching staff almost exclusively on the quality of Shanahan as a head coach."
So, where does that leave the 49ers in the rankings? Shanahan's experience and reputation as one of the brightest minds in football were enough to place the team's coaching staff fourth in the NFL, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams.
Solak admits this ranking might be a bit high as he primarily bases it on one person. He also points out Shanahan's weaknesses, particularly in game management.
"He is one of the most cautious coaches in an increasingly aggressive league; he regularly sits on the ball at the end of the first half, settling for long field goal attempts for fear of any negative plays," Solak explained. "He attempts field goals on fourth-and-shorts that every other coach is going for. He manages the game like a coach with the best defense and the worst offense, which is funny, because he literally always has the best offense."
That last point is why Shanahan ranks so highly in Solak's mind. His offenses have been exceptional year after year in an increasingly offense-driven league. Solak highlights Shanahan's ability to maintain one of the best offenses even with the last overall pick in the 2022 draft—quarterback Brock Purdy—at the helm of the most scrutinized and mentally demanding position in sports.
"Shanahan did more than create the defining offense in the current NFL -- he has iterated on it," Solak wrote. "Of all the offenses he has coached, the 2023 49ers were second only to his 2016 Falcons offense in points per drive and expected points added per play; they were actually better by success rate. This while moving away from the under center, play-action offense he popularized."
While Solak urges general manager John Lynch to reduce Shanahan's influence over how the 49ers' draft picks are utilized, he still holds the coach's game-day contributions in such high regard that Shanahan, who still seeks a championship, ranks higher than several Super Bowl-winning coaches.