Coaching Bombshell in San Francisco: Shanahan Fires Top Assistant, Sparks Controversy About…
Whenever a team with championship aspirations has as poor a season as the San Francisco 49ers had in 2024 — heads are usually going to roll.
On Tuesday, Kyle Shanahan and the Niners made the first of many expected moves this offseason by letting go of one of the HC’s top assistants.
Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, special teams coordinator Brian Schneider has reportedly relieved of his duties following a campaign that saw the 49ers finish among the worst units in the NFL this year.
Special teams errors were abundant in The Bay — something that Shanahan and his staff were trying to correct all season long.
But by the time November rolled around, the Niners head coach couldn’t deny the effect his roster’s injuries had on that phase of the game.
“We have mixed a lot of guys in there,” Shanahan said at the time. “I do think guys are getting better, but we’ve got to make sure that we don’t make those dumb plays where we can cause a penalty, where we can cause a turnover and those are the things that we’ve really got to clean up.”
A big part of the 49ers‘ special teams concerns was former third-round kicker Jake Moody. After knocking home nearly 85% of his kicks as a rookie, the 25-year-old went into a tailspin and hit on just 70% of his attempts in his 14 appearances this season.
The 53-year-old also has extensive experience in the college ranks.
