Breaking Down San Francisco 49ers Decision To Hire Brian Griese As Next QBs Coach

The San Francisco 49ers have made the surprising decision to hire ‘Monday Night Football” analyst and former NFL signal caller Brian Griese to be their next quarterbacks coach.

A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter Friday evening indicated that Griese has been brought in to replace Rich Scangarello who left the 49ers to become Kentucky’s offensive coordinator.

Lacking coaching experience at any level and 14 years removed from taking a snap in the NFL, Griese’s hiring came completely out of left field. Below, I break down this hiring and what it might mean for the 49ers’ quarterback situation.

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That’s the biggest takeaway here. Griese played under Shanahan’s father, Mike, from 1998-2002. In fact, he was the quarterback who immediately replaced franchise legend John Elway with the Denver Broncos.

Kyle Shanahan’s first two seasons as an NFL coach were also spent with Griese in Tampa Bay from 2004-05. That span saw Shanahan act as the Buccaneers’ offensive quality control coach while Griese served as a part-time starting quarterback.

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What does this all mean? Despite a lack of coaching experience, Griese knows Shanahan’s offensive system and has a full understanding of what said offense demands in a quarterback.

With Trey Lance likely set to take over as the 49ers’ starting quarterback for Jimmy Garoppolo, having someone with this intimate knowledge could prove useful.

Kyle Shanahan To Take Hands-On Approach With Trey Lance

Entering his sixth season as the 49ers’ head coach, Shanahan will likely wear more hats than in the past. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel departed the 49ers earlier this offseason to become the Miami Dolphins’ next head coach.

In lieu of hiring another coordinator to replace him, Shanahan opted to bring in former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn to be his assistant head coach.

The expectation here is that Shanahan will now take a hands-on approach when it comes to helping Lance’s progression under center in his first season as the 49ers’ starting quarterback.

This is no small thing. Lance, 21, is as physically gifted as any young quarterback in the NFL. He’s also as raw as they come, having thrown a total of 101 passes dating back to the end of the 2019 season with North Dakota State. In short, Shanahan is betting on himself here.

No, Brian Griese Hiring Has Nothing To Do With Tom Brady

As some have rightfully pointed out, Griese and Brady were teammates with the Michigan Wolverines back in the 1990s. Griese led Michigan to the national championship in 1997 with Brady backing him up.

Could this be a tell that the 49ers are targeting the seven-time Super Bowl champion? Remember, Brady has left the door wide open for a return in 2022 after announcing his retirement last month.

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I am here to throw some cold water on that idea. While Brady has always dreamed of ending his career with his childhood team and close to his parents, the ship has sailed on this one.

San Francisco’s decision not to pursue Brady following the 2019 season is a clear indication that this marriage is never going to come to fruition. Brady wanted to sign with the 49ers. They opted to retain Jimmy Garoppolo mere weeks after the soon-to-be departed quarterback “led” San Francisco to the Super Bowl.

Sure we’ve read rumors on a near never-ending loop linking Brady to the 49ers. The rumors are not going to die down until Brady fully commits to retirement or returns as a member of the Buccaneers.

As for a fit, San Fancisco used three first-round picks on Trey Lance. He’s the team’s future at quarterback. The 49ers will ride or die with him. Pushing back the Trey Area tenure in San Francisco for one more season just doesn’t make sense.

Hiring Brian Griese was more about the San Francisco 49ers finding someone familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system. The fact that he was Brady’s teammate at Michigan is a mere coincidence.