New 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan promised if he ever got a head coaching job, he wanted to take running backs coach Bobby Turner with him.
Problem is, the 49ers have a bit of a franchise legend in that chair already, so Shanahan is trying to find a way to keep Tom Rathman regardless.
“I talked to Tom today,” Shanahan said, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I made a commitment to Bobby Turner a long time ago that if I got a head-coaching job I was going to take him with me, regardless of where that was. And Bobby is a life-long running backs coach, just like Tom. Bobby is going to come here and be the running back coach.
“I love Tom Rathman. He’s a hero of mine, and I know what kind of coach he is. I’m trying hard to get him to be here in whatever other role he wants. But I know Tom. Tom is a running backs coach. I’m going to try my hardest to keep him here. It’s definitely going to be up to him. But I’m going to have to do some convincing.”
Rathman was the bruising fullback on two Super Bowl winners in the late 1980s and early 90s, and was hired as a coach in 1997 by Steve Mariucci. Other than the three years he followed Mariucci to Detroit and two with Lane Kiffin and the Raiders, he’s been on the 49ers staff since, working for Mike Singletary, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tomsula, and Chip Kelly.
Because of his connection with past glories, he’s been considered a fixture there, now we just have to see if he’s willing to accept a different role to remain.