It’s been an interesting process to watch the 49ers pursue a head coach and general manager at the same time.
No decisions have yet been made officially, but it appears Kyle Shanahan, the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Atlanta Falcons, will be offered the job as head coach after a second interview set for this Saturday.
Also, it’s been widely reported that Shanahan is contributing his input into the team’s selection of a general manager. Right now, the two candidates known are George Paton of the Vikings and Terry McDonough of the Cardinals.
That’s a different approach than the norm, in which the GM – usually ahead of the head coach in the pecking order – helps select the head coach.
The 49ers’ process caused Matt Barrows, who covers the team for the Sacramento Bee, to examine what the Niners’ power structure might be if Shanahan essentially selects the GM he’ll be working with. He wrote Wednesday that it seems likely Shanahan will have “the trigger,” which is control over who will be on or off the 53-man roster.
“If Shanahan really wants the trigger, it’s a safe bet he’ll get the trigger,” wrote Barrows. “That’s an exception in the NFL. Most teams favor the strong general manager approach. But it’s not always the case.”
Barrows pointed to the Seahawks’ Pete Carroll, the Dolphins’ Adam Gase and the Falcons’ Dan Quinn as head coaches who have control over their roster. All three teams, in fact, have had success. Each was in the playoffs this year and the Falcons could become NFL champions with a win over the Patriots Feb. 5.
Local
Such a setup previously on the 49ers could have resulted in Jim Harbaugh remaining as head coach, with GM Trent Baalke being ousted, when the two had disagreements. Instead, Harbaugh was shown the door, Baalke stayed, the 49ers spiraled into the basement and now Baalke is gone, too.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler wrote this week that it makes sense to give Shanahan control over the players he’ll coach. After all, the 49ers are interested in Shanahan because of the dynamic offense he’s built in Atlanta.
“Shanahan should have final say on drafts, free agents and game-day rosters,” Ostler wrote. “He’s going to install his creation, his state-of-the-art offense, so who would know better than Shanahan about which players best fit his scheme?
“If Shanahan doesn’t have roster control, that’s trouble.”
The 49ers may be taking an unconventional approach, but it could be a more modern, logical path for a franchise in the NFL basement.
