In the four days since the firing of Jim Tomsula left the 49ers with a head-coaching vacancy, there have been three candidates directly connected with the opening.
Buffalo assistant head coach/running backs Anthony Lynn and Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson have interviews scheduled for Friday and Sunday. The 49ers are also widely reported to have contacted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about interviewing offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.
That certainly does not mean those are the only three candidates the 49ers have contacted or considered. News typically travels a lot slower with college coaches or unemployed coaches because there is no need for a formal request. When a formal request is required, that news usually becomes public because more people are involved in the process.
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--What’s your take on Chip Kelly as a coaching candidate? (Omar Bringas)
The Philadelphia Eagles were 4-12 in Andy Reid’s final season. Kelly took over, and the Eagles had back-to-back seasons of 10-6. Then, everything fell apart and Kelly was fired when the team fell out of playoff contention with a 6-9 record.
Kelly’s name has not surfaced in connection with any of the openings. (You can find the NFL head-coaching tracker here). But that does not mean teams aren’t interested. It’s difficult to read whether the 49ers view Kelly as a legitimate candidate or whether they just view him as, simply, over-hyped.
Kelly was said to have a strong rapport with former Eagles personnel guy Tom Gamble, who is back with the 49ers under general manager Trent Baalke. Kelly continues to be an intriguing possibility.
--David Shaw, is it realistic or a reach? (Daniel Lucero)
--After what happened with Harbaugh, do you think David Shaw would put real consideration in joining the 49ers as the HC? (Brian Anderson)
There has not been any indication that Shaw is interested in leaving Stanford for the NFL. And Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News reported Thursday that Shaw, in fact, has no intention of leaving. If Shaw were interested in going to the NFL, it’s unlikely he would be dissuaded from the 49ers because of what happened with Jim Harbaugh. Shaw and Harbaugh, both highly successful coaches, otherwise have very little in common with how they interact with others.
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--Do you think they will take a look at Lovie Smith now that he's suddenly available? (Michael Tavares)
It’s doubtful because it seems obvious the 49ers’ biggest priority in finding a head coach is hiring somebody who can turn around the offense. The 49ers have not ranked better than 20th since 2012. In Geep Chryst’s only season as coordinator, the offense was No. 31.
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--Do see a scenario where both Kaepernick and Gabbert remain on the team next season? Or will one be gone? (Jose Maciel)
Clearly, Blaine Gabbert is the most-likely to remain because of his affordable salary, along with the solid play he put on film this season. While Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers appear ready for a mutual split, the next head coach will ultimately make that decision. The 49ers have Kaepernick under contract through 2020. If the new coach is adamant that he wants a season to work with Kaepernick, then both Kaepernick and Gabbert will likely still be around when the offseason program begins on April 4.