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The San Francisco 49ers continue to build up their 2022 coaching staff with new hires to the defensive staff since the evening of Sunday, February 27.
But the latest incoming hire is pulling this move: He’s leaving one former 49ers head coach for the franchise.
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First reported by college football senior national reporter Matt Zenitz of On3sports.com on Monday evening, February 28, the 49ers are expected to hire University of Michigan graduate assistant Stephen Adegoke to fill one of the other defensive quality control positions. Adegoke also has ties to the Southeastern Conference.
Once hired, Adegoke becomes the second collegiate graduate assistant to join Kyle Shanahan and his coaching staff — joining LSU grad assistant Asauni Rufus, who was heading to S.F. to fill one spot for defensive quality control. Like Adegoke, Rufus has coaching ties in the SEC.
Adegoke’s hire also means this: He’s leaving former 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh for the ‘Niners.
Adegoke’s Coaching Background
Adegoke is a young coach building up his resume.
He first dove into coaching after his college football career ended at Mississippi State in 2018. He joined his alma mater in 2019 as a grad assistant.
Adegoke then stayed in the SEC by joining Dan Mullen and his University of Florida coaching staff for the 2020 season, where the former college football defensive back helped work with the Gators’ defense. Then, on February 6, 2021 per Football Scoop, Adegoke headed off to Ann Arbor is a similar GA role under Harbaugh.
Before leaving for the 49ers, Adegoke was set to work with wide receivers as a grad assistant and assist Ron Bellamy with that position group, according to the Detroit Free Press back on February 9, 2022. Now, he’ll witness the NFL for the first time ever.
As a player, Adegoke played safety at Mississippi State for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. According to the MSU website, Adegoke played in 16 games for the Bulldogs — collecting 14 tackles, three pass deflections, forced one fumble and snatched one interception. He joined Mississippi State as a preferred walk-on.
Adegoke will be no stranger to California. The native of Snellville, Georgia played junior college football at San Diego Mesa College.
Adegoke and Rufus will soon help add the past SEC and college grad assistant representation on Shanahan’s staff. They’ll soon join a fellow newcomer in veteran special teams and secondary coach Nick Sorensen on the defensive side of the football.
One 49ers Assistant Not Expected to Return
While the ‘Niners are adding to their coaching lineup, the team could be without one longtime NFL position coach in 2022.
There was suspicion that running backs coach Bobby Turner had left the 49ers, as his coaching biography was removed from the team’s website. On Monday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic shared this update:
“No word on whether Turner is retiring. However, he’s not expected to be SF’s RBs coach in 2022,” Barrows tweeted to a fan who asked about Turner’s status. “He missed the 2014 season after having surgery on his knees; He’s having something similar this year.”
If it is the end for Turner, he’ll leave the game having spent 27 seasons in the league and winning two Super Bowls with Kyle’s father Mike in Denver, where Turner got to coach a future NFL Hall of Famer in Terrell Davis.
Turner spent five seasons with the 49ers and helped produce one of the stronger position units on the team under Shanahan. There’s already the added speculation that one other Shanahan hire for the 2022 offseason will soon oversee the backfield:
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