Getty Brian Griese during a 2004 regular season game against the 49ers when he played for the Buccaneers.
Trey Lance and the San Francisco 49ers‘ quarterback room will have a new developer and leader.
And Kyle Shanahan and company is bringing in someone from the broadcast booth into the 49ers’ staff.
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First reported by Adam Schefter and Seth Wickersham of ESPN on the evening of Friday, March 4, the 49ers pulled this stunner: Hiring the now-former ESPN Monday Night Football color commentator Brian Griese as the teams’ quarterback coach.
While this will be Griese’s first rodeo on the coaching circuit, Schefter posted that Shanahan and Griese have a lengthy relationship — adding to the leverage for this addition.
Former Monday Night Football analyst Brian Griese is leaving ESPN to become the Quarterbacks Coach for the 49ers, sources tell @SethWickersham and me. Griese and Kyle Shanahan have known each other for years; Griese played QB in Tampa when Shanahan was on the Bucs coaching staff.
Reactions immediately filled online about the hire.
Shanahan Hired ‘Ideal’ Candidate, as 49ers Insider Said
The move to lure in Griese comes after the 49ers lost Rich Scangarello to the University of Kentucky.
Scangarello, who had two coaching stints with the ‘Niners from 2017-2018 and returned in 2021, was considered the “surprise” coaching staff loss per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, which can be read in this Heavy on 49ers story.
Meanwhile, Griese’s contract with ESPN was up per New York Post sports media columnist Andrew Marchand.
And, Griese wasn’t the only one who interviewed for the position. Via Adam Caplan of Sirius XM, one former Chicago Bears assistant under former head coach Matt Nagy was in the running.
But Griese’s hire has been met with praise — especially from Barrows’ fellow 49er insider colleague David Lombardi.
Lombardi reiterated that Shanahan and Griese have had a long standing relationship that dates back to when the 49er head coach’s father once had Griese behind center with the Denver Broncos.
New 49ers QB coach Brian Griese played under Mike Shanahan with Broncos — likely first met a young Kyle Shanahan there.
Denver drafted Griese in 1998. He was a rookie in John Elway’s final season.
49ers’ dream for Trey Lance is to replicate that Elway/Young Shanahan model
Lombardi added that Griese was considered the “ideal” hire to replace Scangarello.
This goes back to all those pre-draft discussions we had:
-“Ideal” Shanahan QBs have been Steve Young/John Elway. Pocket precision + athleticism
-SF invested a boatload in hopes of reaching “ideal” with Lance
-49ers just hired a QB coach who’s well-versed in that ideal vision
Lombardi included “Even though Brian Griese doesn’t have coaching experience, he obviously has appropriate QB knowledge. And Kyle Shanahan has obviously decided based on an interview that Griese can effectively communicate that knowledge in a productive way to Trey Lance. All else = speculation.”
Lombardi praised the hire. Doug Rush of USA Today used “wow” to describe the move.
Vic Lombardi of 92.5 FM in Denver sent his congratulations to the former Broncos signal-caller.
Dieter Kurtenbach of KNBR called Griese a “sharp” guy.
Brett Kollmann of “The Film Room” on You Tube posted a question:
Speaking of questions: Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated asked if another ESPN analyst was available — someone who made his own mark as a dual-threat passer and led the 49ers to their last Super Bowl win.
Fan Reaction & Speculation
Outside of media representatives, the fan reaction spread throughout Twitter. One posted that Griese’s knowledge of the game makes him greater than Scangarello.
Co-founder of 49ers Gold Mine Leo Luna calls this move a victory for the 49ers.
Brian Griese in – Rich Scangarello out
Huge W for the 49ers coaching staff.
But there are those skeptic ones. Fan/digital content creator of 49ers Web Zone Patrick Tulini was surprised by the move — but is willing to give it a chance.
“I honestly don’t know how to feel about the addition of new 49ers QB coach Brian Griese? This was completely unexpected! But when in doubt, I trust Kyle Shanahan’s judgment,” Tulini tweeted.
Oh, there is the speculation from those fans who think they have an idea of why the hire was made: Griese’s connection to a certain legendary quarterback who’s now retired.
Griese once led Michigan to the 1998 Rose Bowl win and an undefeated season, during a time when a young man named Tom Brady was the backup. Brady eventually took the QB reins at Ann Arbor. And so began the speculation of Griese and Brady reuniting…this time in Brady’s home region of the Bay Area.
#49ers’ new quarterbacks coach Brian Griese aaaaaaand….
Because you’re curious:
Brian Griese went 3-0 as starter vs 49ers for Broncos and Bucs. Was 45-38 overall as NFL starter 1998-2008, Pro Bowl 2000
He turns 47 on March 18 (Lance is 21; Shanahan 42)
Started at Michigan ahead of Tom Brady. Hmmm
At ESPN since 2009, MNF since 2020
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Twitter Reactions on the 49ers Making a Surprise Coaching Hire