There’s technically no head coach or general manager in San Francisco right now, but that’s apparently not stopping the 49ers from attempting to fill out their coaching staff.
Likely under the direction of presumptive new 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, the team reportedly reached out to Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to take the same role in San Francisco. It was at that point that the Bears blocked their NFC rival.
Hearing #49ers were interested in bringing Vic Fangio back to Bay Area as DC, but he's under contract in Chicago and Bears blocked move.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 20, 2017
There is a whole heck of a lot to look at here. First off, Fangio exited the 49ers after they parted ways with then head coach Jim Harbaugh following the 2014 season. If he would even be interested in returning remains up in the air.
Secondly, the 49ers officially don’t even have a head coach. This is a clear indication that Shanahan, currently the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator, is somehow calling the shots behind the scenes. At this point, it seems to be foregone conclusion that San Francisco will hire Shanahan once the Falcons’ season comes to a conclusion.
It’s definitely a weird process we’re seeing play out in San Francisco. That’s what happens when a team decides to purposely let the process play out this long.
Fangio oversaw a surprisingly good Bears defense this past season and led one of the most-dominating units in the NFL during his time with the 49ers. That the Bears would block any potential move back to California makes perfect sense.