If and/or when Jim Harbaugh is fired, the San Francisco 49ers will enter the NFL's version of a speed-dating session.
The NFL being the rumor-mongering beast that it is though, that time is still at least two weeks away and rumors about who the team thinks is cute and who has a nice 401k have already begun. A report that they have started "researching" the gents they'll be taking on 8-10 hour dating sessions aimed at deciding whether or not they're the right guy for the franchises future has already emerged.
Now, two specific names have popped up in connection with those rumors: Notre Dame's Brian Kelly and Stanford's David Shaw.
"Because owner Jed York is a Notre Dame alum, the Niners could wind up being connected to Kelly, with Harbaugh's successor at Stanford, David Shaw, also likely to draw speculation," writes NFL Media reporter, Albert Breer.
Could the Niners, who signed Harbaugh from Stanford, go right back to the Cardinal well and bring in Shaw?
Shaw, head coach at Stanford since 2011, has previously served in NFL roles for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. His overall record in four seasons at Stanford is 41-12.
Kelly, who has been the coach at Notre Dame since 2009, has interviewed for NFL head coaching positions in the past but has never coached at the professional level. His record with the Fighting Irish is 44-20.
According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, Kelly's name has already begun circulating elsewhere in the NFL.
"But yeah, there's NFL teams that are looking at Brian Kelly that see him as a CEO type with strengths on the offensive side of the football and Notre Dame, as great as the tradition and the institution is, still has some restrictions."
Kelly, with San Fran or elsewhere, is expected to test the NFL waters again, per Breer.
"Expect Brian Kelly to consider the pros in January much more seriously than he has the last two years," Breer wrote. "Word is Kelly's frustrated with the Notre Dame administration, and might have even looked at jumping to Florida if the Gators had come after him. The knock he'll have to fight is that he's a stern taskmaster -- some believe he'd have the same problems Nick Saban did in the NFL."
That last bit makes the prospect of his taking over in San Fran seem somewhat less likely - those issues are the same Harbaugh is reported to suffer from and which pushed players out of his corner.
