ESPN analyst Ben Solak has released his annual ranking of NFL coaching staffs, evaluating each team's head coach and three coordinators. Unlike basic win-loss comparisons, the analysis factors in locker room management, coaching staff structure, and game-planning strategies.
Last year, the San Francisco 49ers ranked No. 4 on the list, mainly due to the high regard for head coach Kyle Shanahan. His coordinators, Nick Sorensen on defense and Brian Schneider on special teams, are no longer on the team, replaced by Robert Saleh and Brant Boyer, respectively.
"The 49ers had a weird defensive coaching arrangement last season," Solak wrote. "Nick Sorensen, who had alternated between coordinating special teams and coaching defensive backs in his career, was the titular defensive coordinator. But assistant head coach Brandon Staley had a heavy hand in introducing new fronts and coverages to the tried-and-true Legion of Boom-inspired defense the 49ers had run successfully for years."
That unconventional structure contributed to an underwhelming 2024 campaign, in which San Francisco finished 6-11, struggling to overcome injuries and mistakes.
The return of Saleh—who previously served as the 49ers' defensive coordinator for four seasons before his stint as head coach of the New York Jets—helped push the team up to No. 3 in Solak's 2025 rankings, trailing only the Minnesota Vikings (No. 1) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 2). They take the spot once occupied by the Los Angeles Rams, who dropped to No. 5.
"Saleh is an exemplary defensive coach who has tailored his approach around both his personnel and the unique matchups of opposing offenses across his time in San Francisco and New York," Solak noted. "In his 2½ seasons with the Jets, they ranked first in points per drive, first in EPA per play and third in defensive success rate. He has the juice. The 49ers' defense is on my short list for 'units about to take a massive leap in 2025.'"
San Francisco also retained one of its key assistants, Klay Kubiak, who was promoted from passing game specialist to offensive coordinator. While Shanahan will continue to call plays, Kubiak's involvement ensures continuity in the offensive game-planning process, an area often disrupted by coaching departures in previous years.
"For all his offensive acumen, Shanahan is not perfect -- he still has plenty of room to grow as a game manager," Solak wrote. "But that offensive system sure is something, isn't it?"
The 49ers may have endured a challenging 2024, but with a strengthened coaching staff featuring the return of Saleh and the stability of a Shanahan-run offense, they aim to show they remain contenders in the NFC.