The San Francisco 49ers head coaching search has now extended past every other NFL team with an open vacancy. While the pool of candidates is drying up, don’t expect the search to end quickly.
The San Francisco 49ers are the lone remaining team with a head coaching spot open.
In some ways, that’s good. Open candidates on the market have just one place to land such a gig this offseason. But some notable names have already found jobs elsewhere.
San Francisco has already interviewed a number of candidates for the open spot in the wake of Chip Kelly’s firing. Recently, former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator was confirmed as the Los Angeles Rams’ next head coach.
He’s one of the latest in a long line of Niner interviewees landing with other teams. In case you missed the list, here’s a tracker, courtesy of CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
One might think a thinning pool would put pressure on CEO Jed York and Vice President of Football Operations Paraag Marathe. But it won’t, at least not likely.
A search could stretch out a while. And here’s why.
A hunch says the Niners have narrowed their search down to three candidates: Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
All three of those candidates are with teams still in the playoffs.
Taking the Patient Approach
Just as Niners Wire’s Rob Lowder said, the Niners aren’t feeling rushed into a decision right now:
Anxiety is understandable, but #49ers top targets for GM/HC are in the playoffs. Team's patience has paid off thus far. Respect the process.
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) January 13, 2017
Who knows what priority list York and Marathe have in their screening process. Some feel Shanahan might be the best fit, while McDaniels could be the likeliest of the three.
Related Story: Ranking 49ers Head Coaching Candidates by Preference
It’s probably OK to assume either Shanahan or McDaniels would be a decent fit. We can debate who is the better candidate all we want, but it’s much easier to point out who isn’t a top-tier choice here.
Cable.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat’s Phil Barber explained why:
"The Raiders under Cable were a ticking blowout. They lost 34-3 to the Saints, 44-7 to the Giants, 38-0 to the Jets, 35-3 to the Steelers.Like their coach, they couldn’t keep an even keel.Is this the man the 49ers want to guide their rebirth? No way. Wait for Kyle Shanahan, Jed. Wait for Josh McDaniels or for one of Jim Harbaugh’s children to come of age. But don’t hire Tom Cable as your next head coach."
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Back to the hunch. Cable is a reserve, last-measure option. And he certainly isn’t a good one, but York isn’t exactly known for making good decisions even when he has to.
But at least that same decision-making process has allowed the Niners to wait patiently to land a better-suited candidate instead of rushing to fill the void.
Next: Predicting Players the 49ers Cut in 2017
And that’s fine. At least until the playoffs come to an end.