Save 30% at the official 49ers online store with code CATCH30 →
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports


49ers are lucky they missed out on Patriots OC Josh McDaniels last year

Feb 7, 2018 at 3:30 PM

Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels recently withdrew his accepted head coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts at the final minute. Considering he was on their radar a year ago, the San Francisco 49ers can feel fortunate things panned out the way they did.

Just over a year ago at this time, San Francisco 49ers fans were awaiting news who would be the next head coach of the franchise.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was one of the final names to replace one-and-done head coach Chip Kelly. And McDaniels seemed like a good hire, heading towards a victory in Super Bowl LI and at the helm of one of the most successful offenses in recent years.

But as he appeared to be the leading Niners candidate, McDaniels withdrew his name from consideration and elected to stay on in New England.

A year later, McDaniels pulled the same trick, only this time to the Indianapolis Colts and after he had officially accepted to be their next head coach.

Who knows the exact reasons McDaniels got cold feet this time. Some reports speculate Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is making attempts to groom his coordinator as an eventual replacement when the former decides to retire. Those same reports note a notable increase in pay for McDaniels, which is always an easy motivation.

Either way, the 49ers are fortunate not to have gone down that road.

McDaniels hasn't exactly had much success outside of New England. To be fair, neither has Belichick. But a shun like this is dangerous around NFL circles, especially considering McDaniels' would-be staff in Indianapolis had largely signed on with the team for 2018. Coaches remember that sort of thing. And as ESPN NFL analyst Tim Hasselbeck pointed out, all this could seriously damage McDaniels' reputation for quite some time.

If McDaniels winds up taking over for Belichick in 2019, 2020, or at some point beyond, he'll be responsible for creating his own legacy, likely one that doesn't include future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who'll turn 41 years old this upcoming season.

And if things don't work out, well, those coaching circles will remember.

The Niners, fortunately, didn't have McDaniels officially penciled in as their next head coach a year ago. He was a top candidate, but not the official one. But as Kevin Jones pointed out, the 49ers avoided this last-second change of plans:

Yes, it is funny how things work out.

49ers fans know what happened next. After missing out on McDaniels, former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan got the job, bringing with him a proven offensive scheme and desire to turn the roster over to a youth-first movement. And amid that nine-game losing streak to start his first year as head coach, Shanahan managed to hold the locker room together, as pointed out by Niners first-round draftee, defensive end Solomon Thomas.

Overall, Shanahan's stock is still rising high. In the meantime, McDaniels stock plummets after this latest move. And with all the head coaching controversies in Santa Clara that preceded Shanahan, it's nice to think the Niners "lucked out" by not getting their initial target.

  • Written by:
    Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.

5 Comments

  • The Truth
    Mr. Panacy... Sir... The 49ers never had any intention on hiring Josh McDaniels. They played him to hide the fact that John Lynch was being brought in as the new GM all the while Lynch himself had Shanahan selected as his HC from the start. McDaniels was simply being used as an pawn to cover their moves.
    Feb 9, 2018 at 11:10 AM
    0
  • Paul
    People say "Well Belichick did this to the Jets". Sort of true. Belichick was going to take over after Parcells retired. The Jets wouldn't have had to change their staff. They also didn't wait a over a month, and hire assistant coaches. Parcells also blocked him from interviewing with the Patriots. Belichick did sign a contract (before backing out), and the Jets ended up getting draft compensation. The Colts just got burned. McDaniels will have a tough time following a legend, and without a legend at QB. The Pats have the taste of winning, and will be ultra-critical of everything imperfect.
    Feb 8, 2018 at 12:10 PM
    0
  • Jarl
    Baffled me why McDaniels was ever considered last year
    Feb 8, 2018 at 7:16 AM
    1
  • Phil
    And without Shanahan, the 49ers don't get Garoppolo.
    Feb 8, 2018 at 4:56 AM
    2
  • AJWells
    He along with others pulled their name out when it was widely believed that Shanahan was the 9ers target...
    Feb 7, 2018 at 4:41 PM
    2

More San Francisco 49ers News


49ers vs. Patriots Injury Updates: Warner, Cowing questionable to return; Kittle briefly exits; Elliott ruled out

By David Bonilla
Sep 29

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Niners enter the game on a two-game losing streak, with star running back Christian McCaffrey still sidelined due to Achilles tendinitis. Additionally, defensive...



49ers-Patriots: Fred Warner continues to build POY-type of resume with early season performance

By Kirk Larrabee
Sep 29

Four games into an NFL season is obviously too early to have any serious discussions about postseason awards, but it isn't a stretch at this point to say that 49ers linebacker Fred Warner will be on the short list for the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor if he...



What Kyle Shanahan, other 49ers said after 30-13 win vs. Patriots

By Site Staff
Sep 29

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and several players spoke with reporters after Sunday's 30-13 Week 4 win over the New England Patriots. Here is everything they said. Transcripts provided by the San Francisco 49ers Communications staff. 49ers Head Coach Kyle...



Deommodore Lenoir's hilarious reaction to penalty during 49ers-Patriots

By David Bonilla
Sep 29

Late in the third quarter of the San Francisco 49ers' Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots, cornerback Deommodore Lenoir found himself at the center of a controversial play. While the call didn't impact the final outcome, it sparked some frustration among the...


Latest

More by Peter Panacy

More Articles

Share 49ersWebzone