Niners O.C.: Working on a mystery without any clues

Things are in a holding pattern for the 49ers. The club had no offensive-coordinator candidates in the building today to interview for the vacant job.

Here is what I know – or at least what I think I know . . .

 

–None of the O.C. candidates has been eliminated from consideration for the job. Also, none of the candidates has withdrawn from consideration. Those who have interviewed are former St. Louis coach Scott Linehan, former Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, former Broncos offensive coordinator Rick Dennison and Indianapolis receivers coach Clyde Christensen for the position.

 

–Coach Mike Singletary and GM Scot McCloughan have discussed the possibility of internal candidates for the job. They have yet to interview anyone from the staff, though. They’re moving forward with their search, but they have yet to rule out anything.

 

–On another subject, an NFL source told me that new (Denver) coach Josh McDaniels has received permission from the 49ers to interview offensive assistant Adam Gase for a position on the Broncos coaching staff. The Broncos and 49ers neither confirmed nor denied the information.

 

–Niners assistant director of pro personnel Mike Williams had a good interview with the St. Louis Rams for their newly created position of director of pro personnel.

 

Here is what I don’t know . . .

 

–It is easy to speculate that Chudzinski is the front-runner based on the fact that Browns quarterbacks coach Rip Scherer interviewed with the 49ers yesterday for opening that was created when the 49ers fired QBs coach Ted Tollner. But I don’t know that to be true.

 

UPDATE (1:28 p.m.): Then again . . . Singletary and McCloughan had a formal interview via telephone with Broncos tight ends coach Pat McPherson for the 49ers’ QB coach position. Seems as if Dennison and McPherson could be tied together in much the same way it’s easy to assume that Chudzinski and Scherer are a package deal. McPherson coached Broncos quarterbacks from 2003-06. McPherson has 49ers ties. He was a volunteer 49ers defensive quality control coach in 1996. His father, Bill, was a longtime 49ers defensive assistant and is still a friend of the organization.

 

–I don’t know if the 49ers plan to interview any candidates from teams recently eliminated from the playoffs or anyone whose teams are still alive. My suspicion is that they’re not finished interviewing candidates, but that’s just a guess.

 

–I don’t know if Singletary is seriously considering offensive-coordinator candidates who have never before called plays or served in that capacity. Dennison was interviewed for the job. He organized the Broncos’ run game, but he reportedly has never called plays. It seems to me that Singletary would be putting himself in a bad position if he hires someone who does not have a track record performing that task. He needs somebody he can trust to work with complete autonomy at offensive coordinator.

 

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I know this is not a baseball blog, but I’m sure there are a lot of readers who like to keep track on the happenings of the A’s and Giants. Former Press Democrat baseball scribe Jeff Fletcher has started a new blog, Bay Bridge Baseball, that is definitely worth book-marking and checking out. Tell him I sent you.

 

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