How Kyle Shanahan Can Improve the 49ers Offensive Coaching Staff

Kyle Shanahan had a brilliant idea this offseason.

Instead of simply promoting Nick Sorensen, a novice, and giving him full control and power over the defense, they also hired Brandon Staley, who has more experience, and will have them work together as a team.

What a clever solution. Here's what my father, Lowell Cohn, who covered the 49ers from 1979 to 2017, thinks of it.

LC: "Here's the paradigm. You got a defensive coordinator and you have an expert in his ear. So when the defensive coordinator maybe loses his way, the other person can help and offer suggestions. If the idea is so good for the defense, why isn't it good for the offense? It's not like he's a great play caller in Super Bowls. His offense scored no points in the Super Bowl, and you can point to a lot of reasons why they lost, but one of the reasons they lost is they scored no points in the third quarter with that offense. So wouldn't it be interesting if Kyle Shanahan decided he needed an older, more experienced person, a consuslant, an assistant assistant coach who could go over the game with him afterward, or during the game tell him he needs to run the freaking ball now. If it works on the defense, why wouldn't it work on the offense? And the difference is Kyle has such an ego, it would never cross him mind. But there are people out there who could do it. Mike Holmgren could do it. He's every bit as bright as Shanahan."

I'd like to take it a step further. Shanahan also could hire an assistant assistant assistant head coach who could tell him the rules just in case Shanahan doesn't know them.

Or, Shanahan simply could hire an offensive coordinator and learn the rules himself.