The NFL’s annual coaching interview circus has begun, and it includes several candidates with ties to the Bay Area.
Jim Harbaugh, the former 49ers and Stanford coach who just won the college national title as the head man at Michigan, is set for a second interview this week with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He is also on track for a second interview with the Atlanta Falcons, Schefter reported Sunday.
The man who was his offensive coordinator at Stanford and who succeeded him in leading the Cardinal, David Shaw, has also been interviewed for a pair of NFL jobs this month. The Tennessee Titans announced Sunday that they had interviewed him, and Shaw spoke with the Chargers last week. Shaw was interviewed for the Denver Broncos’ opening last offseason before that team hired Sean Payton.
Shaw, 51, has the most wins in Stanford history with a 96-54 record over 12 seasons, including three Pac-12 Coach of the Year awards.
Finally, a third Bay Area-tied candidate is interviewing for head coaching jobs around the NFL: former 49ers offensive passing game specialist Bobby Slowik. Slowik, 36, was hired away from the 49ers last offseason by the Houston Texans after they named former Niners defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach. He has been connected to the Falcons, the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks for interviews, NFL Network reported over the weekend.
Harbaugh and former Patriots coach Bill Belichick are the headliners in the coaching pool given their track records of success, but they’re hardly guaranteed to fare better than first-time head coaches, as Ryans evidenced by taking the Texans to a victory last weekend in the wild-card round.
