The San Francisco 49ers have received a lot of flack recently for their handling of the Jim Harbaugh situation. And rightfully so. That didn’t take a backseat on Thursday when the team officially introduced former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula as its new head coach.
Seemingly receiving criticism from all ends, Tomsula and the 49ers are now looking to fill out their coaching staff.
And one somewhat shocking name continues to be bandied about. According to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 in Washington, former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, who interviewed for the 49ers opening on New Year’s Day, is still in play to be the team’s offensive coordinator under Tomsula (h/t CSN Bay Area).Â
Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area confirmed through a source that Shanahan could very well join San Francisco’s coaching staff.
The two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach was last an assistant in the NFL for these very same 49ers from 1992-1994, where he led the league’s No. 1 scoring offense each season.
It would most definitely be an odd set up. A veteran head coach with tons of experience working as a understudy to a head coach that doesn’t even have coordinating experience in the NFL.
But as we have seen in recent months, San Francisco doesn’t necessarily follow group-think when it comes to its front office or coaching philosophy.
Photo: USA Today