It’s starting to look like Kyle Shanahan to the 49ers is everything but a done deal.
Two reports Wednesday morning have indicated that those within the Falcons organization have accepted and are aware of the fact that Shanahan will indeed leave to take the head coaching position with the Niners once Atlanta’s season ends. The 49ers cannot officially offer Shanahan the job until that time.
First there is Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s statement to ESPN.com, where he admitted on Wednesday that the impact of losing Shanahan, who was in charge of the top rated scoring offense in the NFL this season, would be significant.
“Well, I think Kyle would be a big loss,” Blank said. “But great coaches and great teams, that’s what happens in the National Football League, unlike when I was running (Home Depot). When we had somebody who was ready to run a large division, it wasn’t a problem. You’d take (him) and move him out of his division and give him his own division. In the NFL, you only have one NFL team. And unless we’re going to put Kyle in charge of our soccer team — and we already have a good coach there — that’s it. We only have one great football coach.
“Great coaches like Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells in the past, Coach (Joe) Gibbs and Andy Reid — and the list goes on and on — are great NFL coaches who have produced over time, and they lose their coordinators. Same with Mike Tomlin.”
Mike Silver of NFL Network is also reporting that all of the Falcons coaches have been made aware of Shanahan’s impending exit, and gave him a round of applause upon hearing the news.
“I’m told that when the 49ers essentially offered Kyle Shanahan the job – they’re not allowed to formally offer – but told him, ‘You’re our guy,’ that all of the coaches were in a room together finding out and (Falcons head coach) Dan Quinn kind of announced it to the group and I don’t know if people broke into a round of applause, but it was a glorious moment at the Falcons facility,” Silver said on NFL Network. “Super supportive about Kyle Shanahan going to the 49ers.”
Ironically, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn was in a similar situation as Shanahan when he was being courted by Atlanta in 2014, as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, who made it all the way to Super Bowl XLIX.
“I definitely have shared insight with him as he was going through the process for him,” Quinn told Silver.
Should the Falcons beat the Packers in the NFC Championship game this weekend, Shanahan is scheduled to meet with potential 49ers GM candidates during the week before the Super Bowl. Should the Falcons lose, every indication suggests the 49ers will officially announce Shanahan as their new head coach.
