Kyle Shanahan had high hopes this offseason, aiming to bring the legendary Bill Belichick onto the San Francisco 49ers’ coaching staff. However, Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach, did not reciprocate the interest, told The New York News.
Belichick became a free agent earlier this offseason after mutually agreeing to part ways with the New England Patriots, the team he had led for the past 24 seasons. This departure sparked speculation about his next move in the NFL.
After the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, they parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. This led to rumors linking Belichick to the 49ers as a potential replacement. However, the team eventually promoted Nick Sorensen from within and hired former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as an assistant.
Shanahan discussed his interest in Belichick during an episode of “The TK Show” podcast with The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami. The 49ers’ head coach revealed that he was open to bringing Belichick on board in various roles, not just as a defensive coordinator.
“I did, I threw it out to him,” Shanahan told Kawakami. “He loves football so much that you never know what he… I can’t believe he’s not the head coach of a team right now. I know what I would do if I was an owner so that shocks me, and the last thing you want to do is insult someone like Bill Belichick. But I know he just loves the ball in its simplest form, so I threw it all out to him, whatever he wanted to do, [including defensive coordinator]. I was like ‘Would you be interested?’ And he was very nice and appreciative, and he politely turned me down.”
Shanahan acknowledged the possibility of facing Belichick in the future, noting the competitive nature of the NFL. “I’m sure he’s going to be back in the league next year, and I could be going against him. He could be in the NFC West. It would have sucked if he came here and then he was going against us, so that’s the stuff you have to be careful about. But he’s the best, and I just like talking to him”, via Fox Sports.
As the 2024 NFL season approaches, it appears Belichick will not be coaching this year. Instead, he has taken on roles as an analyst on the “Pat McAfee Show” and “Inside The NFL.” Additionally, he is assisting his son, Steve, with coaching the Washington Huskies’ defense.
Had Belichick accepted Shanahan’s offer, the 49ers’ coaching staff would have gained a significant asset in the form of the greatest coach of all time. Nonetheless, Shanahan’s pursuit of Belichick highlights his dedication to building a top-tier coaching team for the 49ers.