SANTA CLARA – General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have separate contractual power when it comes to 49ers personnel.
Lynch has power over the 90-man offseason roster, free agency and the draft. Shanahan, meanwhile, has control over which 53 players are selected at the opening of the regular season.
But Lynch said he and Shanahan are committed to making it a partnership.
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SIGN UP HERE “In all of those, it’s also written that it’s subject to approval of the other guy,” Lynch said Thursday. “And, so, that’s the way we wanted it. That’s the way we wanted it reflected, and that’s the reality of it. That’s the way when we started having these discussions, why it went so well.”
Shanahan never insisted on power over personnel, CSNBayArea.com reported during the interview process. He confirmed that he just wanted a situation in which he could work well with a general manager.
“That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity,” said Shanahan, who left his job as Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator. “When it comes down to the 53 and the 90, a lot of that is something you have to put down on paper. And it’s stuff that helps you out when stuff goes really bad.
“If stuff doesn’t go bad, and you’re working with the right people, it usually isn’t something that comes up.”
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Lynch and Shanahan both signed six-year contracts with the 49ers.
After Shanahan, in essence, agreed to coach the 49ers, he was looped into the process to hire a general manager. In Shanahan’s second interview with CEO Jed York and executive Paraag Marathe, he also sat down with Lynch, Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton and Arizona vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough. The next day, the 49ers hired Lynch.
“To have an opportunity when an owner gives you a chance to come in with the GM and make sure you both meet together before they do it, that’s what made this so special,” Shanahan said.
“You don’t get that opportunity much in this business. When seeing that you had an owner who understood how important that was. And gave us that opportunity. That’s something that. I didn’t think it was something I could pass up.”