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Report: 49ers to offer head coach job to Kyle Shanahan

By Nick Tylwalk

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan before a game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan before a game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 49ers have interviewed multiple candidates for their head coaching vacancy, but they appear willing to wait until one man is done with his duty in the NFL Playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers struck out with Chip Kelly, a man once renowned as an offensive mastermind. They’re reportedly hoping Kyle Shanahan will be able to succeed where Kelly failed.

Boosted by his success running the Atlanta Falcons’ high-flying attack in 2016 — which led the NFL in points scored and finished second to only the New Orleans Saints in total yards — Shanahan has emerged as a hot name in the league’s coaching rumor mill.

ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter says the 49ers have determined that Shanahan is the man for them, and that they are willing to wait as long as it takes to make it happen:

The 37-year old Shanahan would be one of the youngest head coaches in the NFL if hired, though still comfortably the elder of new Los Angeles Rams boss Sean McVay, who is only 30. He’s also never been a head coach at any level of football, though he’s spent more than decade in the pros, getting his start as an offensive quality control coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

Shanahan had stints as the offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns before landing his current gig in Atlanta. He’s also the son of Mike Shanahan, so he’s got NFL coaching in his genes.

Still, the question the 49ers and their fans have to be asking themselves is a simple one: can a supposed offensive genius be enough to lift the team out of its doldrums after Kelly failed? Or is the current roster too riddled with holes to be any good no matter who calls the shots?

Related Story: Texans fire offensive coordinator George Godsey

One positive thing is that Shanahan should get a shiny new roster piece with which to work courtesy of the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The bar is also quite low after a 2-14 campaign, so if he accepts the offer, so all that’s left is to see how high the Falcons and their OC can fly in the interim.