Kyle Shanahan is used to replacing his assistant coaches. His status as one of the best offensive minds in football has led to members of his staff being plucked away more than a few times. Still, he has managed to find quality replacements more often than not. It's one of the most underrated aspects of his impact on the San Francisco 49ers.
He may have to do it again soon. Niners offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak is already generating buzz as a top head-coaching candidate for the 2027 cycle.
In a FOX Sports article listing coordinators who are ready to make the jump to the head coaching ranks, Kubiak was listed seventh.
49ers' OC Klay Kubiak is an early NFL head coach candidate
Per Eric Williams in the aforementioned article, former 49ers assistant Brian Griese said of Kubiak, "Klay is one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around. He has a lot of his dad in him — really smart and able to communicate well."
Kubiak has coaching in his blood. His father, Gary Kubiak, was an NFL head coach for a decade. His brother, Klay Kubiak, is the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach. If Klay were hired as a head coach next season (assuming a few other coaches keep their jobs), the NFL would have three pairs of brothers as active head coaches.
But Kubiak isn't just a top candidate because of his family name. He has worked in tandem with Shanahan since 2021 and has risen from defensive quality control coach to his current role as OC. If the Niners' success this season continues, it wouldn't be surprising to see another team poach Kubiak next offseason.
Kyle Shanahan won't have to look far for 49ers' potential Klay Kubiak replacement
If Kubiak does leave, Shanahan could choose to promote someone from within the 49ers' current coaching staff as a replacement.
One option would be San Francisco's current run game coordinator, Joe Graves. Graves has spent five years with the team and previously worked with the 49ers as a quarterbacks coach and assistant offensive line coach.
Through his extensive time with the organization, Graves knows Shanahan's system as well as anyone. While it's impossible to parse exactly what his impact has been compared to Shanahan's and Kubiak's, his running game has been impressive in recent years.
The 49ers currently rank third in the NFL in rushing success rate. They lean heavily on outside zone runs, but Graves hasn't been afraid to mix in other concepts.
He has been rising through San Francisco's ranks and could be ready to take the next step if Kubiak leaves.
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