Kyle Shanahan reveals Bill Belichick turning down 49ers coaching offer - "I threw it out to him"
Kyle Shanahan's coaching story has a lot to do with Bill Belichick. As a former offensive coordinator for multiple teams, Shanahan had one of the most notable losses in the history of the league when his Atlanta Falcons suffered a 28-3 comeback in Super Bowl LI. Bill Belichick, then head coach for the New England Patriots, orchestrated the comeback.
As Shanahan struggled with winning a ring throughout his career, he decided to ask for help. Legendary help. The San Francisco 49ers head coach revealed today that, during the offseason, he asked the former Patriots head coach if he was interested in joining the 49ers as a defensive coordinator.
Belichick, however, politely declined the opportunity. Fresh off a 24-season stint in New England, he was only was interested in becoming a head coach, as the 49ers coach said in an appearance at a podcast on The Athletic:
"I did, I threw it out to him," Shanahan said. "He loves football so much that you never know what he [can bring]... I can't believe he's not a 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 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.
Belichick was considered the favorite to become the Atlanta Falcons head coach, but after a second round of talks with owner Arthur Blank, the job went to Raheem Morris instead.
Is Kyle Shanahan in danger of losing his job with the San Francisco 49ers?
Absolutely not, and anyone who believes this is delusional. He's one of the best head coaches in the league, and while he has not won a Super Bowl yet, his offensive knowledge and the way his teams are always prepared make him one of the smartest.
San Francisco knows that, if they decide to part ways with the head coach, the line to acquire his services will include at least half of the NFL teams. There's no way his job is in jeopardy.