During his end of season press conference on Monday, 49ers CEO Jed York stressed the importance of hiring a general manger and head coach that can communicate and work well together.
49ers beat writer Matt Barrows believes that comment was an indication that York may be looking to add a pairing that has worked together in the past. Barrows joined Gary and Larry on Thursday morning, and said that he thinks the 49ers primary targets will be Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and director of player personnel Nick Caserio.
“Yeah I’d put McDaniels just because I think that the 49ers really want him,” Barrows said when asked who he thinks is the 49ers top head coaching target. “I think the 49ers are going to make a big push to get him and Casserio. That seemed to be what Jed York was saying on Monday. They need a duo that can communicate, that knows what the other wants.”
McDaniels and Caserio are about as close as a front office guy and coach can get, with their relationship starting in college in the mid-90s.
“These guys played together on the same college football team at John Carroll University. There was a really good story today this morning…about how Caserio is wired into McDaniels’ headset on game days, because they share the same brain in a lot of ways, and are thinking about the same thing. He’s another set of eyes for McDaniels. So there’s obviously that cohesion between the two of them that the 49ers are looking for.”
The issue? Caserio has turned down multiple jobs over the last few off seasons, and no one is certain he is interested in leaving New England. What’s more, there haven’t been any reports that he’s accepted an interview with the 49ers. If that’s the case, San Francisco will have to find another GM candidate they think can work well with McDaniels.
“Caserio has turned down jobs in the past and he might do the same this go around. In which case you’d have to find another combination for McDaniels,” Barrows said. “Louis Riddick has been very smart in pumping up McDaniels as an ESPN analyst. If you create a tie there through what you’re saying on ESPN, when that guy gets a head coaching job, inevitably you’d be linked to him.”
Steve Young also touted McDaniels as his top pick for the 49ers head coaching position. San Francisco will reportedly interview McDaniels on Saturday.
Listen to the full interview below.