Matt Maiocco talked to 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel about his new role under head coach Kyle Shanahan and what to expect in terms of play-calling next season.
DeMeco Ryans and Mike McDaniel simultaneously are going through two of the most significant happenings for anyone in their line of work.
Ryans, the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, and McDaniel, the offensive coordinator, spent the week preparing their units to face the Green Bay Packers in an NFC divisional-round playoff game.
At the same time, both are candidates for NFL head-coaching jobs, which takes a high level of preparation and planning in order to be taken seriously for one of only 32 jobs that exist on the planet.
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“It is a little unfair to them just in terms of that is stuff guys wait for their whole life,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So they'd love to be on it for an interview and be totally ready.
"But to ask guys to do that in a Zoom meeting at the end of the week when we're on a pretty short week and you're a little sleep deprived and that's not the No. 1 thing on your mind right now. I just think it's a little bit unfair for them.”
The 49ers advanced in the playoffs with a victory Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys. They return to action with a Saturday night game against the top-seeded Packers.
Ryans was identified early as a candidate for the Minnesota Vikings’ vacancy. Also, the Raiders plan to interview Ryans for their head-coaching vacancy, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
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The Miami Dolphins are interested in McDaniel.
Their work with the 49ers is priority No. 1 for both men, though.
“There's nothing that you can do that jeopardizes any of the work that you're going to do for the 49ers, which those guys have been like that completely,” Shanahan said.
The 49ers first spoke to Shanahan at the conclusion of the 2016 regular season about their vacancy after the firings of coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, who had a first-round playoff bye that season.
“We got three days off as a whole coaching staff and I got to spread my interviews out over those three days, so there wasn't anything that messed with me and then I stopped until after the Super Bowl,” Shanahan said.
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The system makes it difficult for coaches of playoff teams to multi-task when all their attention should be on the job at hand. But teams looking for a head coach want to act quickly, and they expect each candidate to present a plan, including a projected coaching staff.
“I wish we would just kind of wait until February, put it on hold and just let everyone go about it then,” Shanahan said. “I think that might be harder to do than I actually.
“I don't know how realistic that is, but it's just a tough situation that I don't have the right answers for, but they've handled it right. And I know they've gotten us ready to play for Saturday.”
