Add another high-profile name to the 49ers' list of head-coaching candidates.
Shanahan, 62, has spent the 2014 season out of football after being fired by the Redskins in December 2013. Shanahan took a sterling resume to Washington -- including two Super Bowl wins with the Broncos -- but finished 24-40 in four seasons with the Redskins. Three of his four double-digit loss seasons in 20 years as a head coach came in D.C.
Shanahan's son, Kyle, the Browns' offensive coordinator, is also under consideration for the Niners' job.
Shanahan has 49ers ties. He was the team's offensive coordinator from 1992 through 1994, his final season being the last time the Niners won a Super Bowl. He leveraged that success into a head-coaching job with the Broncos, where he won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998.
The tack-on feel of Shanahan's interview makes you wonder if this is merely a kick-the-tires move by the 49ers. Then again, Shanahan has the rings, franchise connection, and as recently as two years ago, was being lauded as a rejuvenated offensive mastermind during Robert Griffin III's electric rookie year.
A lot has changed since then, of course. Be sure to follow our coaching visits tracker to stay up to date on the movements of the Niners and other teams with prominent vacancies.
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