SANTA CLARA — It’s not that Brandon Staley wanted to stop being a head coach. That decision was made for him when he was fired by the Los Angeles Chargers after 48 games and a 24-24 record.
The onslaught of second-guessing in terms of strategy, tactics and personnel has ceased after joining the 49ers as Kyle Shanahan’s assistant head coach. At 41, Staley is young enough and bright enough to be a head coach again, but he’s enjoying a career reset and reintroducing himself to his favorite part of the profession.
“Before I became a head coach I was coaching players and I think that’s what all of us enjoy the most,” Staley said Monday as the 49ers made a number of position coaches available to the media. “I think that’s what Kyle enjoys the most is coaching players. To have that direct impact on the guys, that’s always going to be the best part of the job. And to be able to work with a new group of players, have an impact on a new group of people, that’s energizing for me.”
Fired by the Chargers with three games remaining and a 5-9 record after a 63-20 loss to the Raiders, Staley’s defensive acumen was such that it was a foregone conclusion he’d land another job. Rather than resurface as a defensive coordinator — as he was under Sean McVay for the Rams in 2020 — Staley took a more wide-ranging position with Shanahan and the 49ers.
Nick Sorensen was elevated from a defensive passing game coach to coordinator, and Staley came to lend his eyes, ears and insight in all areas of the defense. Sorensen will call the plays in accordance with Shanahan’s beliefs on defensive strategy. Staley will be the football equivalent of a baseball bench coach, mostly silent in a media sense but a trusted consultant for both players and coaches alike.
“Head coaching is so global and your attention is divided,” Staley said. “You’re trying to affect all aspects of the team. I get to do that at times, but more my focus is trying to teach players from the ground out from a fundamental standpoint.
“That’s fun for me, to work on their game, get on the grass, be in the film room, get to these guys and give some new perspective. And I’m learning a lot too.”
Sorensen has been immersed in the 49ers’ defensive system since 2022 and worked on the inside with Shanahan while predecessor Steve Wilks did not. He’ll be the defensive play-caller and welcome Staley’s input without looking over his shoulder. Staley will be a sounding board if necessary, at practice and up in the booth on game days while Sorensen coordinates on the field.
That’s the plan, anyway.
“It’s been great having him here,” Sorensen said. “He’s got a lot of experience and it’s huge. It’s been awesome.”
Staley’s presence has already been felt in terms of defensive scheme. The 49ers have been with an attacking four-man front with taking a step back being a foreign concept since 2017.
Staley ran a 3-4 defense in with the Rams in 2020, and his Chargers teams did as well. One of his outside linebackers with the Rams was Leonard Floyd, who signed with the 49ers as a defensive end. He used Khalil Mack as an pressuring outside backer as well.
Defensive end Nick Bosa likes what he sees so far, even if it means dropping into coverage on occasion.
“In the NFL you have to evolve every year and we’ve had a lot of success at what we do and teams are starting to game plan it and have answers for us,” Bosa said. “We have a lot of athletic defensive ends. I don’t mind dropping. It’s kind of fun. Not something I often but it keeps ’em honest and it could end up getting me more sacks by then not knowing exactly what we’re doing.”
Staley has assumed some of the work with the defense that Sorensen had previously on the back end and has quickly bonded with players. Isaac Yiadom said he and Staley became close in Denver in 2019 even though he was a cornerback and Staley was coaching outside linebackers.
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir calls Staley a “genius” and dubbed him “the defensive Shanahan” in a radio interview.
“He’s a charmer,” Staley said.
Both corners cited Staley’s education on playing the percentages and being aware of tendencies. Why worry about a first-down fade pattern if the opposition has barely thrown it all year? The idea is to get the players thinking on their feet, playing fast and getting to the ball.
“Any player, particularly young players, they come into the NFL and there’s just so much to learn on your own side of the ball — new techniques, new schemes, new roles,” Staley said. “What they’re defending is different than anything they saw in college. What you’re trying to do is simplify the game for them. Instead of thinking of everything, it’s ‘These are the things that are going to impact you playing well.’ You’re trying to eliminate things they’re thinking about, not increase them.”
Ji’Ayir Brown intercepts a Patrick Mahomes pass for the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. A.P. Photo
Keep an eye on Pline
It’s a wide-open race behind starting tight end George Kittle with the departure of Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley. Mason Pline, an undrafted 6-foot-7 rookie from Furman after transferring as a senior from Ferris State, has emerged as a dark horse roster candidate as well as a practice squad possibility.
“He’s one of the better undrafted guys I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with on either side of the ball,” tight ends coach Brian Fluery said. “His approach, willingness to learn, his mindset, are all top notch. He’s put himself in position to compete for a spot.”
Brown’s progress
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown has appeared to cement his role as a starting free safety. The only question is whether Talanoa Hufanga or George Odum will start at strong safety depending on Hufanga’s progress from a torn ACL.
A third-round pick out of Penn State, Brown played in 15 games with five starts and had an interception in Super Bowl LVIII against Kansas City. Defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks described how Brown was instructed to prepare for his second season.
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“We have a thing we call ‘get betters’ and we evaluate how his season went and we look at things he did good and the things he didn’t do so well,” Bullocks said. “What we focus on is what he didn’t do well. That’s what he’ll continue to work on and what made him stay humble and keep grinding.”
What was the specific “get better” for Brown?
“That’s between him and me right now,” Bullocks said.
Bullocks, who tore his Achilles leaping into the air on Brown’s Super Bowl interception, is out of a protective boot most of the time, although he’s still wearing it on the field.
