NFL Rumors: Steve Spagnuolo wasn’t only legend 49ers called about DC job

Legendary football mind Bill Belichick has prowled the league's sidelines for nearly 50 years. After 24 seasons and six Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots, Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways. Although Belichick's name was mentioned in conversations for various coaching positions, the coach did not find a landing spot among the league's head coaching vacancies. As things currently stand, the 2024 NFL season will be the league's first campaign without Belichick since 1975.

Power dynamics kept Belichick from landing a head coaching position, but there were other opportunities for Belichick to return to the league this year.

Kyle Shanahan called Bill Belichick for 49ers defensive coordinator role

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called Belichick to see if he would be interested in their new defensive coordinator vacancy, according to Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Belichick had a strong bond with Kyle Shanahan's father, Mike Shanahan. The two coaches have made a number of trades over the years as well, most notably for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The two have crossed paths on the field as well — Shanahan was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons when New England clawed back from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI.

Shanahan announced that the team fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks just three days after their Super Bowl LVIII loss. Wilks, who spent just one year in San Francisco, was expected to adjust to the scheme and personnel that the Niners already had in place. It proved to be a misstep, as Wilks struggled to adapt to the team's Seattle Cover-3 defense. Shanahan clashed with Wilks over their differing philosophies throughout the season.

It's enticing to imagine Belichick molding linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, edge rusher Nick Bosa, and safety Talanoa Hufanga. Yet, it was never a realistic proposition. It's rare for established head coaches to take a step down as a coordinator. For a legendary figure such as Belichick, it would be unheard of. There are few, if any, coaches that have handled a wider range of responsibilities than Belichick did. The 71-year-old head coach has generally controlled all football-related operations for his teams, including serving as the de facto general manager. The locker room dynamics of having Belichick under Shanahan and general manager John Lynch would be difficult to manage, as Belichick would likely overshadow everyone else at Levi's Stadium.

Belichick's brilliance as a football strategist and historian is undeniable. The renowned football historian has a résumé with 48 years of coaching experience. He is an eight-time Super Bowl champion and three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, while being recognized on two NFL All-Decade Teams and the NFL Top 100 All-Time Team. As a head coach, he holds the NFL record for most divisional titles (17), most postseason appearances (19), most postseason wins (31), most Super Bowl appearances (9), and most Super Bowl wins (6). He has appeared in over one-fifth of all Super Bowls in NFL history.

Belichick wasn't the only renowned coach that San Francisco inquired about during their search for a defensive coordinator. The Niners attempted to hire Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose contract with the Chiefs expired following the 2023 season. Spagnuolo, who helped the Chiefs beat the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, elected to extend his contract in Kansas City.

Ultimately, the Niners elected to promote Nick Sorensen as their next defensive coordinator. Sorensen spent the past two seasons as the team's defensive pass game specialist and nick cornerbacks coach. Sorensen has familiarity with the Seattle defense, as he was an assistant coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2013 to 2020.