Kyle Shanahan Offered Bill Belichick Role on 49ers’ 2024 Staff After Patriots Exit

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIJuly 23, 2024

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that he offered ex-head coach Bill Belichick a role on his staff after his 24-year tenure with the New England Patriots ended. However, Belichick “politely” turned the opportunity down.

Shanahan revealed the news in an exclusive interview with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic on Audacy’s The TK Show podcast (conversation begins at the 25:15 mark).

Tim Kawakami @timkawakamiAlso: Shanahan talks about his offer to Bill Belichick to do anything he wanted with the 49ers this year, and Belichick’s polite no thanks. https://t.co/a89MuH1YZz

Belichick was in talks for the Atlanta Falcons head coaching gig before that went to Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. Now the 72-year-old is taking the year off from coaching entirely, although he will appear on Inside the NFL.

It’s easy to see why Shanahan would want Belichick on his staff considering his tremendous success. When Kawakami asked Shanahan if he offered a formal role to Belichick, the 49ers coach replied as follows:

“I did. I threw it out to him. He loves football so much…I can’t believe that he’s not a head coach of a team right now. I know what I would do if I was an owner, so that shocks me. And the last thing you want to do is insult someone like Bill Belichick, but I know he just loves ball in the simplest form. So I threw it all out to him. Like whatever he’d want to do.”

When Kawakami asked if that meant the defensive coordinator role, which was available after the team parted ways with Steve Wilks, Shanahan replied that it did and asked Belichick if he would be interested.

“He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down,” Shanahan said.

Shanahan then said that Belichick is helping out his son, University of Washington defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick, as he starts his tenure in Seattle under new Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch.

Shanahan also said he expects Belichick to be back in the NFL next year, joking that he could have to face the legendary coach in the NFC West.

For now, though, Belichick is taking the year off. As for the DC gig, the 49ers promoted defensive passing game/nickel cornerbacks coach Nick Sorensen.