Once Josh McDaniels withdrew his name from consideration on Monday, it became a foregone conclusion the 49ers were going to hone in on Kyle Shanahan, the talented 37-year-old offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.
And that is indeed the case, according to Adam Schefter.
49ers plan to offer their HC job to Falcons' OC Kyle Shanahan whenever Atlanta’s season ends, sources tell ESPN. Willing to wait for him.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2017
49ers will request 2nd interview with Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan for after next week championship game, per source. League rules allow 2nd int
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2017
Now the bigger question: Will Shanahan automatically accept this position? Could he have a change of heart like McDaniels did? Keep in mind he does have a young family.
Knowing Shanahan a little bit, I would bet he’s ready to take on this 49ers challenge. The longtime offensive coordinator has often been a victim of bad timing before, in both his Washington and Cleveland tenures. He knows how precious head coaching opportunities are and he’s ready for his own shot. We’ve been through Shanahan’s resume and won’t use this space to convince you he’s the right man for the job.
Because the real story right now is all about the power the offensive coordinator is set to gain from being the last man standing.
Shanahan now holds all the cards. And this isn’t just about the money in his contract. Because there are no strong coaching candidates left — Tom Cable just announced he’s staying with Seattle — Shanahan can demand that he also hire the GM, or further, he could want final control of the 53-man roster.
This is the corner Jed York has backed himself into during this extensive and exhaustive search for the next leaders of the 49ers. He wanted either McDaniels or Shanahan and that will mean caving to certain demands. Waiting for a playoff coach is normally worth it but now other factors will be attached.
If Shanahan does come off as a little power hungry in the meeting, what is York going to do? Actually hire Tom Cable? He has no choice but to sit back and listen. Shanahan is a friendly guy who doesn’t want tension, but he wants to do run the football team his way. And outlining specifics in his contract could be paramount here.
I think Shanahan will ultimately become the next head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. And I believe by waiting out this long, he’ll have incredibly more power as a head coach than Sean McVay or other candidates who were hired earlier.