San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Klay Kubiak will be the team’s new offensive coordinator. According to Shanahan, Kubiak has been doing the job unofficially for the past two years.

Kubiak will need to wait a bit longer before the promotion is official.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports that, although the 49ers have decided to promote Kubiak, NFL rules do not permit an in-house promotion without a formal search. So, to fulfill that obligation, the 49ers will conduct an open search.

“Klay’s role is going to be the same that’s been,” Shanahan said in his season-ending press conference when discussing the promotion. “Which has been the offensive coordinator. He just hasn’t had that title yet.”

Before that title can be granted, the 49ers will need to have an open interview process. The search will require at least two minority candidates to interview for the job.

Shanahan has served the role of offensive coordinator since previous offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, went to the Miami Dolphins. This makes the role “closed”. NFL rules do not allow teams to name coaches to previously closed coordinator roles without an open search process.

So before Kubiak is officially official as the 49ers’ offensive coordinator, a role Shanahan said he’s been doing for two years, the 49ers will need to interview some candidates.

Rules are rules.