The 49ers have requested an interview with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott for their vacant head coaching position, according to a report by Jason La Canfora of NFL Network.
Interest in Carolina D coordinator Sean McDermott continues to heat up. The 49ers have now requested an interview too. Chargers have as well
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 5, 2017
McDermott, 42, has been in charge of the Panthers defense since 2011, and has turned them into one of the better units in the league, finishing 10th in the NFL this season according to Football Outsiders, after being one of the stingiest units in 2015, ranking sixth in points allowed.
After working as a graduate assistant with William and Mary, McDermott spent 1999-2010 as a coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, starting as a scouting administrative coordinator and working his way up to defensive coordinator.
McDermott is the just second defensive minded head coaching candidate the 49ers are scheduled to interview, with Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph being the other.
On Thursday, former 49ers Hall-of-Fame quarterback Steve Young told KNBR that the 49ers should say away from hiring a defensive minded head coach:
Please don’t bring in a defensive guy into San Francisco. Don’t bring in an offensive guy to Pittsburgh. Don’t bring in an offensive guy to Chicago. It’s just, there’s places that have a heritage and it just doesn’t resonate. And so please don’t tell me we have this tremendous defensive mind that we’re going to bring into San Francisco. I just…Say what you want to say about Jim Harbaugh when he was an offensive innovator and a great offensive coach, I loved that. I remember being on the radio being ‘hallelujah’ we’ve got somebody with what we’ve done in the past and who I think the 49ers kinda need to be.
Young endorsed Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as the best candidate.
The 49ers conducted their first interview yesterday, meeting with Buffalo Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn, and are traveling to Green Bay Thursday to interview general manager candidates Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst.
