The San Francisco 49ers under head coach Kyle Shanahan have seen some of the coaches on his staff leave the Bay Area to be head coaches elsewhere. Nonetheless, could one coach be in line for a potential move to become a head coach next season?
49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak comes from a well-respected football family, with his dad, Gary, being a head coach in the NFL and his brother, Klint, now serving as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
As a result, could Klay be the next Kubiak to become a head coach? One team that might be calling the Niners coach is the New York Jets if their season goes off the rails.
New York Jets on SI’s Jason Buechler floated three potential names the team should consider if they fire head coach Aaron Glenn and one of them is the 49ers offensive coordinator.
“The 49ers have been a hotbed of offensive coaching talent since Kyle Shanahan took the job in 2017,” Buechler wrote in an Oct. 21 article. “Klay Kubiak may be the next leaf on the Shanahan tree to branch out. The Jets have had six head coaches since their last playoff appearance. Only one has been offensive-minded: Adam Gase.
“Kubiak would be a perfect fit, especially if the Jets are to use one of their three first-round draft picks on a QB. The 38-year-old has led the 49ers’ offense to a top-10 offense in the NFL during their 6-0 start. Kubiak will be a hot commodity come the offseason as teams change up coaching regimes.”
Klay Kubiak’s Impact on 49ers’ Offense Make Him Intriguing Candidate
Moreover, Buechler spotlights Kubiak’s impact on the 49ers offense as the team continues to perform despite the injuries to the wide receiver room.
“Kubiak has succeeded despite the injuries that his offense has sustained,” Buechler added in his article. “The Jets have weapons; they just haven’t unlocked them consistently. Kubiak could be the answer to those issues. With the draft capital spent on offensive talent, the contracts for Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, and a possible new rookie QB going into 2027, Kubiak should be someone the Jets keep an eye on.”
If the Jets were to hire Klay, he’d be walking into a situation similar to his brother Klint with the Raiders and potentially having a QB to mold (should New York pick one) and having to turn a franchise around that’s stuck in mediocrity. So far, his brother Klint appears to be turning the ship in Las Vegas.
Niners Receive Garrett Wilson Message Before Trade Deadline
Speaking of the Jets, CBS News Bay Area’s Matt Lively floated out four potential wide receiver targets that the Niners could pursue, and the biggest name of the four is wideout Garrett Wilson.
“It seems like every 49ers fan wants to trade for Garrett Wilson,” Lively said in an Oct. 22 video on his X account. “[Wilson] recently signed a huge contract. He’s under team control through 2030. He’s off to a great start this season with over 400 receiving yards, but this would cost a boatload for the 49ers to go out and get him. Likely a first-round draft pick, maybe multiple.”
49ers Coach Floated as Potential Aaron Glenn Replacement for Jets