49ers' next defensive coordinator will be taking on dream job
Chances are the phone conversation between 49ers coach George Seifert and Mike Shanahan wasn't a long one.
“Hello Mike, George Seifert here. Our offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren left to become head coach of the Packers and I was wondering if ...”
Mike Shanahan interrupts: “You had me at hello.”
That was 32 years ago, and I suspect something similar is going on with Kyle Shanahan and any one of a number of candidates to replace Demeco Ryans, who left to become the head coach of the Houston Texans.
Kyle was 12 years old when his father, then the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, had a split with coach Dan Reeves over the best way to get the most out of quarterback John Elway.
Talk about good fortune. Mike Shanahan walked into 4949 Centennial Ave. for the 1992 season with an embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
Quarterback Steve Young would win the Most Valuable Player that season while Joe Montana was letting his elbow heal in his final season with the 49ers. Ricky Watters and Tom Rathman were in the backfield, Jerry Rice and John Taylor at wide receiver, and Brent Jones was the tight end.
You want blocking? How about a core of tackle Harris Barton, center Jesse Sapolu and guard Guy Mcintyre?
Scheming, film work and creative X's and O's are a big deal, but are dwarfed in importance by talent. Mike Shanahan parlayed both into three successful seasons, culminating in the 49ers' last Super Bowl win following the 1994 season, before returning to Denver as the head coach.
Ryans ran the defense ranked No. 1 in the 2022 regular season in both yardage (300.6) and points per game (16.3). The 49ers were also very good in 2021, Ryans's first year as a defensive coordinator after being a quality control coach and then a linebackers coach.
Players gave Ryans high marks as a non-stop motivator and tactician who put them in position to be at their best.
Which is what pretty much everyone thought about Robert Saleh, Ryans' predecessor who became head coach of the New York Jets in 2021.
The point is, whoever Shanahan selects to run the defense in 2023 has a considerable talent base. A defensive line with Arik Armstead in the middle and Nick Bosa coming from the outside. The NFL'S best linebacker tandem in Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. A standout cornerback in Charvarius Ward. A Pro Bowl safety in Talanoa Hufanga.
Shanahan and general manager John Lynch made it clear last week that continuity would be big in selecting Ryans's replacement, and the aforementioned players represent top-level producers at all three levels.
One prospective candidate, Vic Fangio, went to Miami and joined former 49ers assistant Mike Mcdaniel rather than return to the defense he once ran for Jim Harbaugh. Maybe Fangio didn't want to return. Maybe Shanahan wasn't too keen on whatever changes Fangio had in store for the defensive structure.
Either way, I'm not sure it matters much. Whether it's Steve Wilks, Chris Harris or someone currently on staff, the defense will be run to Shanahan's specifications, and the coordinator will arrive in what amounts to a dream job considering what's already on hand.
We don't know who will be on the defensive line along with Armstead and Bosa, assuming the latter gets his extension done as expected. Or if Azeez Al-shaair will return as a third linebacker with Warner and Greenlaw.
The corner opposite Charvarius Ward is an open question, as is the nickel position and free safety, where Tashaun Gipson is scheduled for free agency.
“It will look different,” Warner said as the players went their separate ways last week. “We're likely losing our defensive coordinator, the guy I came in with and owe a lot to. A lot of players will be moving on to different teams. The more you're in it, you see it's never the same, but we'll be back and we'll be better.”
The 49ers' defensive core has self-starters and those who are self-motivated. They'll take coaching, of course, but mostly you just point them in the right direction and let them go.
And the pieces that are added to fill in among them will be expected to play with the same high standards.
That's about all you could want as an incoming coordinator. When Shanahan actually does offer the job to someone, he'll get a “yes” pretty quickly.
One thing we've learned about Shanahan since he arrived is he knows how to handle a coaching staff and that he's unafraid of change. He seems to enjoy it even because it keeps things fresh with new voices in different positions.
In 2022, Shanahan pretty much changed the responsibilities of his entire offensive staff. When the 49ers started slowly, there were whispers that losing Mcdaniel was a body blow. But as tight end George Kittle noted, it's Shanahan's offense and Shanahan's system. They moved on with a culture and belief system in place.
That's what the 49ers will be looking at in 2023 as well on defense.
As you'd expect, 49ers players and coaches are singing Ryans's praises. They're convinced he'll have success in Houston. That's no sure thing, because the job of a coordinator is much different than that of a head coach.
Impediments include a solid relationship with ownership and the personnel department, being responsible for an entire roster instead of half of it and dealing with the media on a near-daily basis.