The 49ers’ season came to an end in Seattle late on Saturday evening and by Monday evening, their star defensive coordinator is on his way to Tennessee to become the Titans’ head coach.
It felt inevitable as the season went on and the number of open head coaching jobs increased that Robert Saleh was going to jump at an opportunity for a promotion. Now, Kyle Shanahan will have to begin a search for the fifth different defensive coordinator in five seasons.
Here are some potential candidates that I would like the 49ers to consider in their search for a new defensive coordinator.
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Raheem Morris
Ex-Head Coach, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Shanahan and Raheem Morris go way back to their days in Washington, when they both were on Mike Shanahan’s staff. Since then, Morris and Shanahan also crossed paths in Atlanta, when they were both coaching on the offensive side of the ball.
Morris was also the defensive coordinator for the Rams when they won the Super Bowl in 2021 and then went on to become the Falcons’ head coach the past few years.
He’s coordinated different style defenses, is someone that Shanahan reveres from a coaching standpoint and is a natural leader as well. More importantly, he’s likely not going another head-coaching job, so if he comes to San Francisco, there’s a strong chance he’s not going to leave for another job opportunity.
Jim Schwartz
Former Defensive Coordinator, Cleveland Browns
After the 49ers handled the Browns earlier this season, there were multiple reports that Shanahan and Schwartz had a long conversation on the field. This would be an intriguing hire that would certainly encourage some 49ers’ fans.
Schwartz has coordinated top-flight defenses in Cleveland and Philadelphia, where he was part of a Super Bowl run. He’s previously worked with 49ers’ defensive line coach Kris Kocurek in Detroit and also coached Daniel Bullocks with the Lions, who’s now the 49ers’ defensive backs coach.
Schwartz is known to run the wide-nine defensive line scheme that the 49ers already employ and utilizes an aggressive defense that would definitely translate to the talent that San Francisco has in the building.
He would also be a candidate that’s likely not leaving for a head-coaching job either, especially at 59 years old.
Gus Bradley
Assistant Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
This would be an uninspiring hire from my perspective. Gus Bradley is a name that the Shanahan’s been attempting to hire since he became the 49ers’ head coach back in 2017.
The 49ers brought in Bradley to be a defensive assistant this past season, while also giving him the assistant head coach title. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir expanded on Bradley’s role, adding that he was responsible for the strike zone and red zone defense this season, which was quite successful for the 49ers.
This would be uninspiring because it would be a sign that the 49ers are just hiring from within and still clinging to the Pete Carroll-Seattle defense, when they have an opportunity to evolve and bring in a quality candidate from outside the building.
Some other names to consider internally would be defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks, who was interviewed before Nick Sorenson landed the job in 2024. Also, rising coach K.J. Wright is another candidate, but it might be too soon for him to take over complete play-calling duties. Would expect Wright to at least earn a promotion this season.
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