SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jaws are still being picked up off the floor in the Bay Area on Monday morning after the San Francisco 49ers’ stunning, out-of-left-field decision to hire former NFL safety John Lynch as general manager on Sunday evening.
As soon as the initial shock of a 2-14 team hiring a general manager with zero experience evaluating and acquiring talent subsides, there’s plenty left to unpack, much of which will focus on just how unqualified Lynch is for the job compared with the other nine candidates the team interviewed throughout a process that started nearly a month ago.
Hiring Lynch out of the Fox booth sent shock waves through the league, immediately drawing comparisons to the failed experiment the Detroit Lions conducted with Matt Millen, the most recent example of a broadcaster turned team-builder. Millen was in charge of the Lions from 2001 to 2007, with Detroit compiling a 31-81 record before he lost his power and, eventually, his job in the 2008 season.
That doesn’t mean Lynch isn’t capable of stepping in and getting the job done. Lynch was a winning, successful player in his career and he understands what it takes to succeed at the league’s highest level. Former players such as John Elway in Denver and Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore have gone on to successful careers as executives, though it’s worth noting that both had experience in talent evaluation (Elway in the Arena League, Newsome through the Ravens organization) before they became the chief decision-maker.
But while the likes of Elway and Newsome gained their experience in other positions, the Niners are asking Lynch to learn on the job. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that the team gave Lynch a six-year deal, which is unprecedented, especially for a first-time general manager. While that could be a sign that the Niners simply couldn’t land any of their other candidates and hired Lynch because he was the one willing to say yes, it’s also an indication the team is finally willing to be patient with a new regime.
Presumptive next coach Kyle Shanahan, who can’t be hired until after the Atlanta Falcons play in the Super Bowl but gave his blessing to the Lynch hire, will get the same contract terms as Lynch. From the outset of this process, Niners CEO Jed York made it clear he wanted a general manager and coach who could be on the same page. York didn’t box himself into the idea of hiring a coach then a general manager — or vice versa — but once it became clear that Shanahan was the priority, the goal then became to find a general manager who could work well with Shanahan.
“We need to make sure that the head coach and the general manager know each other, have a good understanding for each other,” York said on Jan. 1. “It doesn’t mean that they had to have worked together in the past but they have to have a good respect for each other and a good understanding and know that they have similar visions and philosophies on building a football team.”
With Shanahan apparently signing off on Lynch — Lynch played for Shanahan’s father, Mike, in Denver — there’s little doubt he will wield the ultimate personnel hammer, assuming he does indeed become the next head coach. But Shanahan has never been a head coach either, meaning the Niners are pinning their hopes of a full-on rebuild on two people who have never overseen such a project.
So while the Niners seem to be set on their two biggest hires in Shanahan and Lynch, the people who surround the pair will be just as, if not more important in helping to shape the future of the organization.
This is a roster that didn’t have a single Pro Bowler in 2016, has little in the way of clear-cut building blocks and could soon have zero quarterbacks under contract for 2017. Although the 49ers are going to have more than $80 million in salary-cap space and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, there were no miracle workers for either job who figured to come in and offer an immediate turnaround.
By burning through three coaches in as many seasons, York created a situation in which he had to try to convince top candidates to fill the openings, instead of having the ability to pick from the best options available. It’s a point driven home by the fact that the Niners didn’t hire any of the nine executives they interviewed despite spending all but one week of the past month with the only general manager job available, and by the length of contracts they intend to give Lynch and Shanahan.
Only time will tell if the Niners’ big gamble will pay off. Fortunately for Lynch and Shanahan, time is something they’ll have plenty of to lead a once-proud franchise in a new direction.
