Shanahan, Lynch, each with 6-year deals, give struggling franchise a new car smell
SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, the 49ers new power couple, happily sat side by side at Thursday’s introductory news conference, with a 49ers helmet in front of them as a customary prop and CEO Jed York flanking them as their optimistic boss.
This was the first visual of a coach-and-general manager union the reeling 49ers have made into a long-term investment, as each newcomer embarks on a six-year contract.
“It’s rare to get two guys to come in together with the same deal. That makes me comfortable,” Shanahan said. “… You know you’re going to win together and you’re going to lose together.”
This was unlike recent newcoach coronations, and the 49ers have way too many to compare it to now that Shanahan is their fourth coach in four years.
Instead of that new coach having to conform with an entrenched general manager — like recent tries under Trent Baalke, whose unions ultimately failed with Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly — the 49ers are taking a new, double-whammy approach with two novices.
“We aren’t where we want to be. We’re a two-win team right now,” York said, referring to last season’s 2-14 record. “We need to make sure we give these guys everything they can to get this thing up and running. I believe in these guys and think they’ll be around a lot longer than (six years).”
They’ve divvied up the personnel powers in a way both see fit: Shanahan controls the in-season, 53-man roster while Lynch oversees the offseason’s 90-man unit as well as free agency and the draft, in which the 49ers hold the No. 2 overall pick April 27.
“It’s also written: ‘subject to approval of the other guy,’“Lynch said of their contracts’ power share. “. ... We’ve both seen places where it works. And we’ve seen places that it doesn’t work and you’ve got friction, and that’s not what we were all about.”
Lynch is a first-time general manager, and although he exudes confidence from his past life as a star safety and Fox Sports broadcaster, he is openly humbled by his lack of front-office experience.
Shanahan is a first-time head coach, and although his confidence stems from nine years as offensive coordinator and as the descendant of longtime NFL coach Mike Shanahan, he is greatly humbled by Sunday’s Super Bowl defeat as the Falcons’ play-caller.
In the wake of watching a 283 lead turn into a 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots, Shanahan got hired by the 49ers on Monday to close a long-expected deal, and he then took a couple days to get “some closure” on his Falcons tenure.
“I was definitely grieving it and I probably will for a while,” Shanahan said. “... I remember every single play and I will go over those for the rest of my life. That’s kind of the life we live as coaches.”
Shanahan now will call the 49ers’ plays and, thus, he said he won’t need to hire an offensive coordinator, a void last attempted by four-time Super Bowl-winner Bill Walsh in the 1980s, when his offensive staff featured Mike Holmgren, Sherman Lewis, Dennis Green and Bobb McKittrick.
As an ode to 49ers lore, Shanahan recalled serving as a ball boy at training camps in Rocklin while his father was the offensive coordinator from 1992-94, a tenure culminated by their last Super Bowl win.
Kyle Shanahan added: “It’s a dream come true, not just to be a head coach, but a head coach at a place like this, where you talk about Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Steve Mariucci, Jim Harbaugh and you can go down the line of coaches and players.”
Harbaugh? Yep, Shanahan has the moxie to invoke the name of the outcast coach who led the 49ers to three straight NFC title games and a Super Bowl berth. Harbaugh left after the 2014 season to spark the 49ers’ avalanche from contention.
Lynch also drew upon the 49ers past, and he told York at the onset of this regime how they needed to encourage alumni back into the fold. Lynch called out by name six former players — Keena Turner, Jesse Sapolu, Guy McIntyre, Eric Wright, Steve Bono and Parys Haralson — in attendance Thursday inside Levi’s Stadium’s standing-roomonly auditorium.
“Those guys created the standard that we’re striving for,” Lynch said. “I’ve reached out to a lot of these guys and let them know that not only are they welcome, we really want these guys around because that’s what we’re aspiring to be. I’ve also told them we can’t ride on their coattails.”
To help Lynch with his frontoffice foray, the 49ers hired Cupertino native Adam Peters away from the Denver Broncos’ scouting office a week ago to serve as vice president of player personnel. Thursday brought another addition: senior personnel executive Martin Mayhew, who mentored Lynch in the Buccaneers secondary from 1993-96 and later become the Detroit Lions general manager (2008-15) and New York Giants director of football operations (2016).
The biggest personnel conundrum is at quarterback. Do the 49ers acquire one via trade, draft or free agency? Before they get there, Lynch said he will sit down with Colin Kaepernick, who the GM claimed to have hit it off with while serving as a Fox analyst. Kaepernick can opt out of his contract next month, or the 49ers could release him and avoid his $14.5 million salary.
Lynch said Kaepernick has reached out to him, and that any decision on the quarterback’s future will be a “football decision, but there are different layers to that.”
Kaepernick, whose equalrights movement was embraced by the 49ers last year, did not attend Thursday’s news conference, but at least six teammates did show.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith said of the Shanahan-Lynch unveiling: “They aced it. Obviously they’re great at public speaking. But they’re believable, as well. As players, you have to be excited about what you hear.”
Shanahan said controlling the 53-man roster was important to him so players knew coaches were responsible for it, but that Lynch also had strong influence on decisions.
Added Shanahan: “We’re not coming in here (saying): ‘If things go bad I, want to make sure I have all this stuff.’ Things aren’t going to go bad.
“We’re coming here together,” Shanahan continued. “and it’s going to work together or we’re going to lose together and that’s what makes it special. You know what both our intentions are. There’s no hidden agendas with any of us.”