Tag: Candidate

Two weeks into their offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have yet to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy. They have been relatively quiet about interviewing candidates for the position.

Thus far, there have only been two interviews: Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh and Detroit Lions assistant Deshea Townsend. But, apart from that, there have been crickets on the defensive coordinator end, and things took a turn on Wednesday.

Saleh, who is perceived to be the favorite for the job now, has been conducting head coaching interviews with a few organizations this season as he looks to get back on his feet after being fired from New York this offseason. And there may be one true team emerging as his next destination.

The Jacksonville Jaguars took a hit on Wednesday, as Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who was seen as a healthy favorite for the job, elected to withdraw from the Jaguars head coach opening. That move took away a strong offensive assistant for quarterback Trevor Lawrence to work with, leaving the Jaguars with Saleh and longtime NFL defensive coordinator Patrick Graham as the candidates who have earned second interviews so far.

With Saleh potentially gone, San Francisco’s plan at defensive coordinator has seemingly backfired, as they had put all of their chips in to bring back the familiar face, and now they may have to pivot elsewhere.

Enter another familiar face: former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who was linked to San Francisco’s vacancy on Wednesday.

“[As] the 49ers anxiously wait for the outcome of Saleh’s interview with Jacksonville for the Jaguars’ head-coaching vacancy, I’ve heard that [Pete] Carroll’s name has come up inside 49ers HQ as an interesting idea, at least,” SF Standard’s Tim Kawakami wrote. “But the 49ers also have to wait out things with Carroll, who, according to The Athletic, could be the Raiders’ No. 1 choice now that Ben Johnson has taken the Chicago Bears’ job.”

Carroll is an entirely different type of candidate. The longtime NFL head coach has significant experience running a team and is still involved in head coach searches, such as the Las Vegas Raiders vacancy.

The 49ers have dipped into Carroll’s pool of former assistants in the past, hiring Robert Saleh as their defensive coordinator from 2017 to 20.

But getting Carroll himself would be a much different dynamic. It would provide San Francisco with not only a strong defensive mind but also a coordinator who could help head coach Kyle Shanahan with both weekly game planning and in-game decisions.

The main question: is the move realistic for both sides?

Carroll should get some head coaching interviews and could very well select his next destination soon as vacancies fill up. San Francisco cannot afford to put all of its eggs into one basket again and come up short, especially if Robert Saleh takes a head coaching job, as a ton of candidates are currently heading off the board.

So, we’ll see if the 49ers conduct an interview here and if other candidates begin to get involved in the process. Nonetheless, the idea of hiring Carroll is certainly intriguing, and there appears to be talk inside the building about pursuing that option.