Editor's note (5:17 p.m.): The 49ers are now the only NFL team without a head coach as the Chargers officially announed the hiring of Anthony Lynn.
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The 49ers are likely to soon be the final NFL team with a head-coaching vacancy.
The Los Angeles Chargers are in contract negotiations to finalize a contract with Anthony Lynn to become the team's head coach, the NFL Network reported Thursday evening. Lynn, who finished the season as the Buffalo Bills' interim coach, was the first coaching candidate to interview with the 49ers for the second year in a row.
The leading candidates for the 49ers' job appear to be New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers interviewed Shanahan and McDaniels on Friday and Saturday, respectively, as their teams earned first-round playoff byes.
The 49ers are also scheduled to interview Seattle offensive line/assistant head coach Tom Cable on Sunday.
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The 49ers would not be allowed to hire a coach until his season has concluded. Atlanta and Seattle play in the AFC divisional round on Saturday, while New England meets Houston.
Team executives Jed York and Paraag Marathe are simultaneously conducting a search for the general manager position. The 49ers do not have a set timetable -- or a desired order -- in hiring a general manager or coach.
The 49ers are looking for a coach-general manager pairing that will work well together, York said on Jan. 2.
ESPN analyst Louis Riddick and Green Bay director of football operations Eliot Wolf appear to be connected with McDaniels, while Arizona director of player personnel Terry McDonough appears to favor Shanahan to be his coach. McDonough is scheduled to interview on Friday. Seattle co-directors of player personnel Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer, who are set to interview Monday, are believed to favor Cable.
One source told CSNBayArea.com that the 49ers are high on Green Bay director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst. The belief, according to the source, is the 49ers would be comfortable hiring Gutekunst or Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton to work with either McDaniels or Shanahan.
