Why the 49ers Hired Brandon Staley
After 17 days, the San Francisco 49ers finally have their defensive coordinator.
They have reportedly elected to go the internal hire route by promoting defensive passing game coordinator Nick Sorensen. However, promoting Sorensen isn't the only reported move from the 49ers. Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley is also being brought on as an assistant head coach.
Sorensen and Staley were the confirmed first two candidates interviewed by the 49ers earlier this week for defensive coordinator. Now, it becomes clear as to why the 49ers were taking so long. They were trying to see how the dynamic would work between the two. I believe Staley is going to be Sorensen's right hand man since he has experience as coordinator and Sorensen does not.
But there is also another reason I believe the 49ers hired Staley for.
Staley was brought on as a contingency for Sorensen. Since Sorensen is a first time coordinator, the chances are decent that he could fail and sink fast. If that occurs, then the 49ers can pivot to Staley as the play caller. This is what the 49ers wanted to do with Steve Wilks after the Minnesota Vikings blunder.
Firing Wilks was certainly on the table for them, but the 49ers couldn't get rid of him without leaving a vacancy elsewhere. With Staley, the 49ers have placed a contingency in case that happens again so that there is no hole on the defensive coaching staff should they end up pivoting. Now, if this does take place, the 49ers won't outright fire Sorensen. They would likely play it as a shared duty of some sort.
It's not like they want to embarrass Sorensen if it goes wrong. He's one of their own unlike with Wilks last year if they ended up firing him midseason. But, of course, hiring Staley could simply be as an advisor. I just find that hard to believe that is all he was brought on for. This is a pretty bizarre scenario to have the first two interviewees for the same vacant position hired to the team.
Again, it's no wonder the 49ers took all this time. They had to work out the details between the two, and I bet that one of those key details was possible relinquishing of play calling duties as Kyle Shanahan saw fit.
