New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is considered the favorite for the San Francisco 49ers head coaching position. Pro Football Talk (PFT) reports that McDaniels has been “reaching out to potential assistant coaches and urged them to remain available.” McDaniels could poach a few assistants from the Patriots, but he won’t raid the coaching staff and get on Bill Belichick’s bad side.
So McDaniels has to speak with assistant coaches from other rosters to assemble a coaching staff that can compete in the NFC West.
PFT also reports that “McDaniels is conflicted about the job” because of his young family and his concern that the 49ers aren’t committed to him for a long term role. McDaniels doesn’t want to move all the way across the country and give up a great job with New England, only to lose his job in a couple seasons.
So McDaniels will have a lot of thinking to do. Is he comfortable trying to rebuild the once-great 49ers franchise? Or will he stay in New England with Belichick and QB Tom Brady, and especially defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, keeping the longest tenured coordinator duo together for a sixth consecutive year.