The 49ers are in the market for a new special teams coordinator, and the Cowboys might have just gifted the Niners a potential name.
On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys officially announced they were heading in a different direction at head coach, formerly not inking a new contract with Mike McCarthy, allowing him to become a coaching “free agent.”
The ramifications of that decision by owner Jerry Jones will spread far and wide, potentially even including a run at NFL legend and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
But, there’s another name that should pop up in conversations regarding the offseason coaching carousel.
The Niners have no interest in a new head coach, not as long as Kyle Shanahan is at the helm. But they do have needs for a new defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator after parting ways with Nick Sorensen and Brian Schneider.
San Francisco’s special teams was an outright disaster in 2024, and that might be putting things nicely, prompting a need for a massive overhaul.
Turns out, someone on McCarthy’s old Dallas staff should be on Shanahan’s radar.
49ers should go after John Fassel with immediate urgency
John Fassel served under McCarthy at AT&T Stadium when the two joined the Cowboys in 2020. Since that point, Fassel’s special teams units have largely performed well beyond expectations, and most NFL circles view him as one of the top assistants for this vital-but-overlooked third phase of the game.
For much of 2024, Dallas boasted the No. 1 special teams unit, according to DVOA, while the 49ers were hovering toward the bottom:
Warning for 49ers fans for Sunday: The Cowboys are No. 1 in special teams DVOA. It’s the one place they are strong this year. The 49ers are 31st ahead of only Tennessee.
— Aaron Schatz 🏈 (@ASchatzNFL) October 23, 2024
Fassel has plenty of experience working within the NFC West, too, serving with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams from 2012 through 2019, and he has worked with special teams at the NFL level from 2005 when he was with the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Niners have already circled a few names on their list of potential coordinators, Fassel’s sudden availability should prompt them to put his name at the very top of candidates who could finally resolve the many woes special teams endured last season.
