Like his brother Klint, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak has received interest from multiple teams regarding their head coaching vacancy.
However, if another team comes calling after Kubiak for their offensive coordinator job, San Francisco intends to block such a move, even if it comes with play-calling duties.
“He’s our offensive coordinator, so I don’t know, why would you let him be somebody else’s offensive coordinator,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Saturday (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows). He added that Kubiak “calls a lot of plays here,” suggesting that an offensive coordinator gig elsewhere may not offer him much more than his current role in San Francisco.
That may not be entirely accurate. Kubiak is only the second coach to hold the 49ers’ OC title in Shanahan’s tenure, and the head coach is still considered the team’s main play-caller. Getting out from under Shanahan’s shadow would allow Kubiak to be the primary architect of his own offense. He could demonstrate his ability to bring one of the league’s signature offensive schemes and even add his own wrinkles to further establish his own identity. Success in that role, particularly as a full-time play-caller, would boost Kubiak’s resume for potential future head coaching opportunities.
It seems, though, that he will not get that chance. Kubiak could petition the 49ers to let him out of his contract for a lateral move to another offensive coordinator gig, but the team does not have to oblige him. If that remains their stance, Kubiak may have to wait out his current deal or wait for an offer for a head coaching job to land with a different team. Shanahan’s only other offensive coordinator in the past nine years, Mike McDaniel, was able to vault directly into the Dolphins’ head coaching job without a stint elsewhere, so the potential is certainly there for Kubiak, too.
I’m starting to wonder when they will start search for a new HC and staff because their window for winning is getting smaller with every season.
How does a new coaching staff prevent an entire team from getting hurt all the time?
Shanahan just had his best year as a head coach. He’s not going anywhere even through a rebuild, or more likely, retool. Lynch I could see being less likely to stick around of the two.
Bills fired their coach and they have been about as good as 49ers since that coach got to Buffalo. I’d say if 49ers don’t make it back to Super Bowl next year, they should also get rid of Lynch and start with a new GM.
It was his best year, until the late Seahawks games. Thoroughly outcoached.
Exactly.
Get rid of the coach who is the ONLY reason the team has had success.
Smart fandom.
Shanahan is locked in there, why replace him? And who will do a better job than he will? McCaffey, Trent Williams, Kittle are aging and more prone to injury. I was surprised McCaffrey made it through the season and kept playing at such a high level. They’ll need to replace the cogs in the machine to keep it running, if anything.
In my view McCaffrey was the MVP this season, but its a MVQB award.
The benefit of staying and getting credit for Shannahan’s work by some clueless ownership group far outweighs the risk of being exposed on his own with a lesser organization.
Have any team that hires him, attach a 1st Rnd Draft Pick.