Getty Kyle Shanahan talks to reporters before Super Bowl 54 on January 29, 2020.
It’s the season of changes, even for the San Francisco 49ers.
Before getting active on the free agent trail later in March, general manager John Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan and company are currently dealing with filling coaching spots for the 2022 season.
The franchise will already move on without offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, as he’s now helping scout talent for the Miami Dolphins as their head coach. The 49ers will also be without the widely popular Wes Welker as he joins the Dolphins. Longtime running backs coach Bobby Turner is another change — taking a step back due to upcoming surgery on his knees.
That’s 8 coaching staff poaching from 49ers this offseason:
Mike McDaniel (Miami HC)
Richard Hightower (Bears ST)
Jon Embree (Miami TE)
Wes Welker (Miami WR)
Butch Barry (Denver OL)
Zach Yenser (Kentucky OL)
James Bettcher (Bengals OL)
Rich Scangarello (Kentucky OC)
But none of those changes caught the 49ers by surprise, according to one NFL insider.
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The Change That ‘Surprised’ the 49ers
Matt Barrows of The Athletic answered some 49ers mailbag questions on Thursday, March 3 and one hard-nosed question was sent to him regarding the coaching staff: Shall we be worried about this whole coach reshuffle, especially with the offense? What does this mean for Trey Lance’s development?
The short answer from Barrows? Yes, it’s a legitimate cause for worry as he wrote it.
Then came the coaching change that, as Barrows put it, is the big, surprise change: Rich Scangarello going from quarterback coach to the University of Kentucky offensive coordinator. Here’s what Barrows wrote:
“Rich Scangarello’s departure to be Kentucky’s offensive coordinator is also a big deal. It seems to have caught the 49ers by surprise — he’s the one offensive position coach who hadn’t been replaced heading into the combine. (The team is not announcing the staff changes until all positions are filled).”
Barrows added that the now former QB coach of the 49ers and Lance became attached to the hip:
“Scangarello, of course, spent the most time with the quarterbacks and was glued to lance’s side in practice and during games. Now Lance will have to start fresh with a new coach.”
While his departure is labeled the big surprise of the offseason coaching cycle, Barrows did provide some good news for the Shanahan-led staff of 2022.
What is the Good News?
With Scangarello gone, it additionally means that Shanahan is losing one of his longest tenured offensive deputies alongside McDaniel and Turner.
But the good news? One key coaching veteran remains in place.
“The good news: Offensive line coach Chris Foerster, another long-time Shanahan disciple, is still in place,” Barrows said. “And he’ll have a bigger role in developing the ground game plans than he did previously.”
Foerster, who helped coach Trent Williams to his All-Pro season and produced two more Pro Bowlers in center Alex Mack and Laken Tomlinson, will be entering his fourth season in the Bay Area.
But What About Other Potential Moves?
Before March, let alone during the NFL playoffs, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans was the topic of potential head coaching hires. Ryans, however, is staying put.
The only significant defensive change is James Bettcher going to the Cincinnati Bengals. But the offensive side will be the area with the most reshuffling.
One key hire Shanahan made that Barrows points out is Anthony Lynn’s hire, calling the playoff head coach with the Los Angeles Chargers “a huge asset to Shanahan.”
But in the end, this offseason as has seen the “biggest sea change” to Shanahan’s staff than any other year, as noted by Barrows.