The 49ers have been without a head coach since the firing of Chip Kelly on January 1. The 49ers also officially announced the firing of general manager Trent Baalke on the same day. He was replaced by former NFL All-Pro safety and FOX analyst John Lynch.
Shanahan has been long expected to become the 49ers' new head coach and even had a big part in the hiring of Lynch as the new general manager. A phone call between Lynch and Shanahan following the Falcon's divisional victory over the Seattle Seahawks kicked off the interest in the analyst. Lynch was in the FOX broadcast booth for that game. Shanahan met with Lynch, and two other general manager candidates, in Atlanta on January 27 and 28 before the Falcons traveled to Houston for the Super Bowl.
"I get that it's new to him," said Shanahan this week in Houston. "But if I'm going to bet on anybody, I'm going to bet on John Lynch. He'll have to learn some stuff as he goes, just like we all do, but you're going for the person. John Lynch has succeeded in everything, and that excites me about him. The people who know him know how special of a guy the 49ers got."
According to one report, Lynch is expected to have final say on the 49ers' 90-man roster, including the draft and free agency, but Shanahan will have final say on who makes the team's 53-man roster.
Shanahan was a hot commodity following the 2016 season and also met with the Los Angeles Rams, who hired former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who promoted interim head coach Doug Marrone, and the Denver Broncos, who hired former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. One report had the Broncos seriously considering Shanahan before deciding to go with Joseph. Only the 49ers were willing to wait on Shanahan and his team's postseason run.
Shanahan has been with Atlanta since 2015 and has nine years of experience as an offensive coordinator. Prior to his two years with Atlanta, he held the same position with the Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, and Houston Texans. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington at the same time that his father, Mike Shanahan, was the head coach there.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers overtake Rams as Super Bowl LXI betting favorites
According to DraftKings, the San Francisco 49ers have overtaken the Los Angeles Rams as the betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI as the NFL heads into Week 6. The 49ers remain undefeated at 5-0 through five weeks, while the Rams fell to 2-3 after losing to the Buffalo Bills... -
Kyle Shanahan shares how Raheem Morris is making 49ers' defense more aggressive
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan likes what he's seen from defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, particularly the aggressive approach Morris has brought to the defense this season. That should come as no surprise. The two have been close friends for years. But it... -
Kyle Shanahan reveals something 49ers QB Brock Purdy must do against Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy put together an impressive third-quarter touchdown drive against the Denver Broncos last week. But even with the offense finding the end zone, head coach Kyle Shanahan saw something he wanted his quarterback to clean up. Speaking... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan explains why Mike Evans is a matchup nightmare
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans brings more to the offense than his ability to win contested catches. His size and physicality create problems for defensive backs. But his performance against the Denver Broncos showed how much he's willing to endure to help his...