For the first time since Brandon Staley joined the San Francisco 49ers earlier this offseason, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about how he plans to use the former Los Angeles Chargers head coach, per David Lombardi of The Athletic:
“Kyle Shanahan confirmed that new 49ers DC Nick Sorensen will call plays while Brandon Staley ‘will be a big part of the game plans. He's been a big part of free agency already.'”
The 49ers replaced former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks by promoting Sorenson and took the unexpected step of also hiring Staley, 41, the former Rams defensive coordinator and Chargers head coach who had interviewed for the opening.
While Staley doesn't have an official title with the 49ers, it sounds like he'll be used in a co-defensive coordinator role.
The 49ers hope the arrangement they agreed on will include Sorensen re-establishing the defense’s core principles that Shanahan has suggested slipped last season under Wilks, who was hired last year despite not having a background in the 49ers’ scheme.
The failed arrangement with Wilks is likely why the 49ers didn’t fill the coordinator role with Staley, whose defensive roots are in a 3-4 system. Staley is instead in charge of enhancing the defense with different concepts.
Brandon Staley before the 49ers
Staley left the Chargers after coaching them to a 24-24 record over three years. But things went off the rails in Los Angeles before Staley found his way to the 49ers.
Fresh off an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in December, the Chargers parted ways with Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
The loss was the team's fifth in their last six games, and it was expected after a down season. Of course, the Chargers had a historic collapse against the Jaguars in the playoffs a year ago and Staley still managed to stick around as head coach.
“Sometimes there are games where it doesn't go right, none of it,” said a defiant Staley following his team's blowout defeat on Thursday Night Football – his final game as head coach. “You have to put it behind you, and you got to move on to the next thing.”
Staley's tenure as head coach of the Chargers was plagued by underachievement and questionable decisions with what many NFL insiders deem to be the league's best rosters. His seeming over-reliance on analytics, lack of feel for in-game management, and aggressiveness on fourth downs were often categorized as reckless by NFL analysts, as well as former players and coaches.
With that, it makes sense that the 49ers will have him assist in the things that he's stronger at instead of calling the plays. Staley does have his strong points, but with the pressure on the 49ers to get back to the Super Bowl, Shanahan is putting him in a position to succeed.
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