San Francisco completed an interview with Iowa State receivers coach and passing game coordinator Noah Pauley for its offensive coordinator position.
Pauley has spent the past two seasons with the Cyclones and helped direct Iowa State to its winningest season in program history during the 2024 campaign. With Pauley assisting, Iowa State ranked 39th nationally in passing yards per game (255.7), 39th in total offense (416.2 yards per game) and 41st in scoring offense (31.1 points per game).
The Cyclones had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers during the 2024 season in seniors Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. That duo combined for 17 touchdown grabs.
A Minnesota-Duluth alum, Pauley began his coaching career at his alma mater as a student assistant during the 2011 season. Pauley then served as a graduate assistant at Minnesota-Duluth during the 2013-14 seasons before being named the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Minnesota-Duluth from 2016-18.
During his coaching stint at Minnesota-Duluth, Pauley coached six all-conference wide receivers, including All-American receiver and return specialist Aaron Roth.
Pauley then joined North Dakota State as the program’s wide receivers coach from 2019-22. While coaching at North Dakota State, Pauley teamed with eventual 49ers first-round NFL draft selection Trey Lance to win the 2019 FCS national championship.
Though 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his recent end-of-season press conference that San Francisco was planning to promote passing game specialist Klay Kubiak as the team’s new offensive coordinator, NFL rules don’t permit teams to directly promote coaches to previously closed coordinator spots without an open search process.
As such, San Francisco has been required to undergo a full interview process in accordance with NFL rules. With Kubiak seemingly set to be the 49ers’ next offensive coordinator once the formal interview process is complete, Pauley’s interview could lay the groundwork for him to get hired into another position with the organization.
That was the path that Brandon Staley followed to his current role as San Francisco assistant head coach/defense.
If Kubiak is ultimately named as the 49ers’ next offensive coordinator, he would be the franchise’s first offensive coordinator since Mike McDaniel held the position in 2021. Kubiak called plays for San Francisco in the team’s 2024 regular season finale against the Arizona Cardinals as the 49ers totaled 436 yards of offense.
Kubiak also called plays in two preseason games ahead of the 2024 season. Shanahan said he will continue to call plays, but Kubiak will add the title of offensive coordinator.
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