Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree has branches in the NFL and NBC Sports’ Peter Kings believes the reach could increase next season thanks to the 49ers’ two assistant coaches.
This offseason, teams from the playoffs will begin to consider adding to their coaching staffs, and King brought to San Francisco a duo that can both help struggling teams as offensive coordinators: tight ends coach Brian Fleury and passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak.
King shared what every assistant coach has to offer teams on the latest “Soccer Morning America” the column was published on Monday.
Klint Kubiak
Kubiak lived up to expectations in the 2023 regular season, winning the job after former 49ers quarterback Bobby Slowik moved DeMeco Ryansand#039; staff as the new Houston Texans offensive coordinator. King envisions a similar path for Kubiak, whose brother Klay is a 49ers’ quarterbacks assistant coach.
“The Shanahan/Kubiak tree has many branches, but this is the first year that Klint, son of longtime coach Gary Kubiak, has coached Shanahan and is part of the reason Brock Purdy has had such a good year” King wrote. “He’s played in a number of ways for such a young coach, including last year in Denver after Nathaniel Hackett was fired. Cerba, like his father”
Purdy at the wheel, 49ers’ the passing game has become one of the most explosive in the NFL this season behind a young quarterback who has excelled on the deep ball. It’s a testament to the work Kubiak has done in the Bay Area and should certainly attract the attention of teams looking for a spark like the Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots.
Brian Fleury
Fleury is in his second season as the head coach of San Francisco and number 039, but the fifth of the franchise. He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the offensive QA coach and the 2019 season as the defensive QA coach. .
His first season as a tight end in 2022 produced George Kittle’s career-high 11 touchdowns — the most in a single season by a tight end in 49ers franchise history — and Kittle completed his third 1,000-yard winning campaign. this season.
The assistant’s impact is obvious, and with his versatility, King Fleury sees an even bigger coaching role in the future.
“Unknown outside of the Niners, highly regarded in the building as a reliable playmaker for Kyle Shanahan”King said of Fleury. “You get points when Shanahan knows the whole game, and Fleury has been a linebacker coach, director of football studies, quality control coach and assistant coach in his NFL years.
“Shanahan doesn’t want to lose him”
But as the 49ers Faithful knows, Shanahan is used to losing amazing assistants and coordinators to opposing NFL teams. From Slowik and Mike McDaniel to DeMeco Ryans and Robert Saleh, those who have had success in San Francisco often move on and grow in their coaching careers.
And with the Chargers reportedly asking to interview 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks for their head coaching job, San Francisco could be bracing for several departures this offseason if Kingand’s guess is correct..
