INDIANAPOLIS — The 49ers have become a training ground for NFL coaches and executives.
“It gets annoying at times, like, ‘Leave us alone,’” 49ers general manager John Lynch quipped at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“But you know what, there is a source of pride.”
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Robert Saleh, Mike McDaniel and DeMeco Ryans have left Kyle Shanahan’s staff in recent seasons for head-coaching jobs. And Lynch’s personnel department has produced NFL general managers Martin Mayhew, Ran Carthon and Adam Peters.
Peters, formerly the 49ers’ assistant general manager, was the latest to leave the organization to replace Mayhew as the Washington Commanders general manager.
Peters’ recent departure led to Lynch’s announcement on Tuesday of two promotions within the organization. Tariq Ahmad and RJ Gillen have been assigned the same title: Director of player personnel.
“We’re not calling them ‘co-director’ of player personnel simply because I feel they both earned it on their own,” Lynch said.
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Ahmad has spent 10 seasons with the 49ers and just concluded his third year as the 49ers’ director of college scouting.
Gillen finished his ninth season with the 49ers and his first as director of pro scouting, where he was tasked with evaluating professional football talent for free agency and trade possibilities.
“They both have been integral parts to who we have been as an organization,” Lynch said. “I think it was very natural. I love promoting from within because I think it shows these young folks that if they start, say, as a scouting assistant, there’s a path for them to get where they want to get. And these two guys have really earned it.”
Peters had a lot of responsibilities within the organization, Lynch said on 49ers Talk. Those duties will be split up among Ahmad, Gillen and others. The 49ers will continue with their regimented draft system that Peters helped develop during his seven seasons with the organization.
Ahmad will spend a lot more time at the team’s headquarters, Lynch said. In his previous role, Ahmad lived on the East Coast and had a rigorous travel schedule to visit schools on scouting trips.
Ahmad will be stationed in Santa Clara for a larger percentage of the time, but he will continue to visit college campuses around the country.
“The one thing I told Tariq is I don’t want to lose that,” Lynch said. “That’s a gift he has, and he’s awesome (with) his ability to get on the road and bring information in. We got other people who can do that, but we still want Tariq on the road.”