The 49ers’ success in 2019 made their coaching staff a suddenly popular choice for teams in need of a head coach. The Cleveland Browns, which fired head coach Freddie Kitchens after their Week 17 loss to the Bengals, are set to interview two 49ers offensive assistants according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday confirmed the Browns requested an interview with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. They’re also aiming to interview 49ers passing-game coordinator Mike LaFleur, along with running-game coordinator Mike McDaniel per Schefter.
LaFleur, 32, is the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and broke into the NFL as in intern for the Cleveland Browns in 2014 when Shanahan was their offensive coordinator. LaFleur followed Shanahan to Atlanta as an offensive assistant, then to San Francisco as the pass-game coordinator.
The 49ers finished the season 29th in the league in pass attempts, but they were 13th in yards, 10th in passing touchdowns, and Jimmy Garoppolo’s 8.4 yards per attempt was the third highest mark in the league.
McDaniel may wind up being the more coveted name among teams needing a head coach. The 36-year-old has been in the NFL since 2005 when he took an internship with the Broncos under Kyle Shanahan’s dad, Mike.
The younger Shanahan first coached with McDaniel in 2008 when he was an offensive assistant during Shanahan’s first season as the Texans’ offensive coordinator. He followed Shanahan to Washington where he was an offensive assistant and wide receivers coach. McDaniel also went to Cleveland and Atlanta with Shanahan before joining him in San Francisco as the 49ers’ run-game coordinator.
The 49ers boasted the second-best rushing attack in the NFL this season. They finished second in rushing yards, first in rushing touchdowns, and ninth in yards-per-carry.
With NFL clubs gearing their coaching searches toward offensive-minded head coaches, it’s not a surprise Shanahan’s staff became a popular choice for interviews. It’s similar to the effect the Sean McVay coaching staff had in 2018. The Broncos already poached former 49ers quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello to be their offensive coordinator last season.
It isn’t out of the realm of possibilities that one of the 49ers’ assistants gets a head-coaching job, and hires another assistant as a coordinator. While the 49ers won’t have any coaching searches to worry about during the postseason, they may wind up needing to make adjustments to their coaching staff if they lose some of their assistants to promotions on other clubs.