Forty-Niners Hire Shanahan As Head Coach, Search On For Brady's Jersey

By ESPN

It required time and patience, but the San Francisco 49ers finally got their man.

The Niners announced Monday that they have officially hired Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to be their head coach. The deal is expected to run for six years, matching the contract the 49ers gave new general manager John Lynch. Shanahan becomes the team's fourth coach in as many years, replacing Chip Kelly, who followed Jim Tomsula and Jim Harbaugh.

For Shanahan, becoming a head coach is the realization of a dream.

"As a young man, I had the unique benefit of being exposed to the storied history of the San Francisco 49ers firsthand,'' Shanahan said in a statement. "From that exposure, I developed great respect for those who created a world-class, championship standard. As this team begins the task of re-establishing that standard, I could not ask for a better partner than John Lynch. He is a man who certainly has personal knowledge of what championship organizations look like. John and I look forward to establishing a strong culture that will serve as our foundation for constructing this team.''

In the process, the Niners became the last of the six teams with head-coach openings to make a hire. It was a deal 36 days in the making.

The 49ers fired Kelly on Jan. 1 and first interviewed Shanahan on Jan. 6 while the Falcons were enjoying a bye week for the wild-card round. The Niners interviewed him again during the bye week before the Super Bowl, also talking to Lynch and two other general manager candidates in the process.

But the Niners couldn't hire Shanahan until his season ended. That happened Sunday when the Falcons lost in devastating fashion to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Atlanta blew a 25-point second-half lead, with Shanahan's playcalling late in the game coming under scrutiny.

"It's not really the run-pass ratio that I look at,'' Shanahan told reporters of his decision to keep throwing after getting into field goal range late in the fourth quarter. "It's you stay on the field and you run your offense. We went three-and-out two times, which was huge. I think we had second-and-1 on both of those. To not convert on second-and-1 and then third, it was tough. That's why we let them get back into the game.''

San Francisco moved swiftly after Atlanta lost to meet with Shanahan and finalize a contract that had been expected since New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels removed himself from consideration on Jan. 16.

"As an offensive mind, I think he stands alone in the National Football League, as evidenced by the explosive and record-setting offense in Atlanta,'' Lynch said. "Though he grew up around coaching, what has most impressed me about Kyle is that he's become his own man in the profession. Our philosophies on football and our visions for leading the 49ers back to being a championship team align in every way. I am thrilled to have Kyle Shanahan on board.''

While the 49ers waited for Shanahan, they watched as all of their other candidates took jobs elsewhere or pulled out of the hunt. The Los Angeles Rams hired Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Chargers chose Anthony Lynn, and the Buffalo Bills reeled in Sean McDermott. When McDaniels stepped aside and the Niners focused their attention on Shanahan, Seattle assistant head coach Tom Cable also opted out.

Shanahan was one of the most coveted coaching candidates in the league this offseason, interviewing with Denver and Jacksonville and having a meeting with the Rams postponed because of weather. All three teams hired coaches before Shanahan was eligible to agree to a deal.

At 37, Shanahan becomes the second-youngest coach in the NFL; only the 31-year old McVay is younger. But Shanahan's experience belies his youth.

Rangers Searching For Brady's Jersey

Texas' lieutenant governor has asked the Texas Rangers to aid the Houston Police Department in its investigation of Tom Brady's missing jersey, which disappeared following Super Bowl LI.

"In Texas we place a very high value on hospitality and football. Tom Brady's jersey has great historical value and is already being called 'the most valuable NFL collectible ever.' It will likely go into the Hall of Fame one day," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement.

"It is important that history does not record that it was stolen in Texas. I've called Colonel Steve McCraw to ask that the Texas Rangers work with the Houston Police Department on this case.

"I'm a Texans and Cowboys fan first, but the unquestionable success of the Super Bowl in Houston last night was a big win for our entire state and I don't want anything to mar that victory. Whoever took this jersey should turn it in. The Texas Rangers are on the trail."

A Houston Police Department spokesman told ESPN that no police report has been filed regarding the missing jersey but the department has been in contact with NFL Security.

"We have been looking into this disappointing matter and will continue to assist law enforcement authorities," an NFL spokesman said Monday.

The Texas Rangers is a division in the Texas Department of Public Safety; it comprises 222 employees (162 Rangers and 62 support personnel) who, according to their website, leads "major incident crime investigations, unsolved crime/serial crime investigations, public corruption and public integrity investigations, officer involved shooting investigations, and border security operations."

Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions, based in New Jersey, told the New York Post that the jersey could be worth as much as $500,000 or nothing if it is not soon located and authenticated as the jersey Brady wore in the Patriots' epic comeback victory.

"If I could give some legal advice to whoever has this, I'd hire a lawyer, turn it over to that lawyer, see if there's a reward and be happy with it," Goldin told the newspaper.

"This can't be sold publicly right now, because there's nobody who doesn't know this was stolen."

Brady on Monday called the missing jersey an "unfortunate" situation.

"I put it in the bag, and I came out and it wasn't there anymore. It's unfortunate because that's a nice piece of memorabilia," Brady said Monday. "If it shows up on eBay somewhere, someone let me know so I can track that down."

Asked if he planned to give the jersey to his mother, Galynn, who has been battling an undisclosed illness, Brady said Monday: "Those are special ones to keep.

"What can you do? I'll take a ring, and that's good enough for me."