The San Francisco 49ers are currently looking for a defensive coordinator, but they are also interviewing people for offensive coordinator even though it seems clear who the team is going to choose already.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan let it slip that San Francisco plans to hire Klay Kubiak as the offensive coordinator, essentially a one-up promotion since the Niners haven't operated with an offensive coordinator since 2022.
The son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak has served in various assistant coaching roles with San Francisco since 2021, and Shanahan even let him call plays during the preseason and during Week 18's meaningless game against the Arizona Cardinals.
However, per NFL rules, there must be an open search for a coordinator role:
NFL rules do not allow teams to name coaches to previously closed coordinator roles without an open search process. Shanahan said Kubiak has done this job without the title for 2 years, but rules dictate a search must be done.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 11, 2025
It is a bit of a silly rule because we all already know who the 49ers will hire, but now they have to go through the formality of an interview process.
Because they have to go through this process, though, they should interview someone Niners fans are all too familiar with: Ohio State offensive coordinator and former 49ers head coach, Chip Kelly.
Fans need not be reminded of the brutal 2016 season when Kelly was the head coach and led the 49ers to a dismal record of 2-14. It was a low point for the franchise and led to both Kelly and then-general manager Trent Baalke being fired.
While Baalke looks to be on the hot seat yet again with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kelly actually could be in line for a promotion with Ohio State just one game away from winning the College Football playoff.
After Kelly was fired by San Francisco, he went on to be the head coach at UCLA from 2018 to 2023 where the Bruins were just one game over .500 during his tenure. He joined Ohio State as their OC and reunited with head coach Ryan Day who was actually San Francisco's quarterbacks coach when Kelly was the head coach in 2016.
Even though the 49ers would obviously not hire Kelly, it would not be the craziest idea in the world to interview him. Hiring cycles can serve as free consulting sessions for teams since they can ask interviewees how they would improve a team's offense or see if they could pick their brain and learn any tips.
Now, Shanahan seems far too arrogant and prideful to think he can learn anything from other offensive coaches, especially one he succeeded in San Francisco. But it may not be a horrible idea to pick Kelly's brain especially after the season the Niners had in 2024. Say what you will about the guy as a head coach, but Kelly has proven he can be an effective offensive play-caller at both the collegiate and professional levels.
It would probably drive some fans crazy, but if the 49ers are being forced to have an interview process for the offensive coordinator role, an interview with Kelly could actually be beneficial for the team.