Brian Gutekunst withdraws from 49ers G.M. search

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There were two Packers executives included among the candidates for the 49ers General Manager job, but it appears neither one of them will be making the move to Santa Clara.

A day after director of football operations Eliot Wolf withdrew from the search, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst has also pulled his name from consideration. Schefter reports that Gutekunst has signed a new deal with the Packers, which was also the case for Wolf.

Both men were on a list of candidates invited back for a second interview. Vikings assistant G.M. George Paton and Cardinals vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough are believed to be the other candidates for the position.

The 49ers are expected to hire Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as their head coach and reports earlier this week had the team planning conversations between Shanahan and the G.M. candidates after the NFC Championship Game.

56 responses to “Brian Gutekunst withdraws from 49ers G.M. search

  1. On the earlier 49er/GM thread, a number of posters said that Gutekunst was a done deal. Any of you want to admit that maybe the 49er front office dysfunction is an issue? It appears that the GM would have the title, but not the authority. Yeah, that’s gonna’ work out well…

  2. Nick Wagoner at ESPN reports that Jed York said, “…it’s got to be a partnership. It’s got to be a collaboration between me, the head coach, and the general manager so that we can get this thing right.”

    So, that statement sends a signal that Jed intends to stay involved with the football decisions. What prospective GM would want that? Run Away!

  3. tfavrat says:
    Jan 20, 2017 12:22 PM
    On the earlier 49er/GM thread, a number of posters said that Gutekunst was a done deal. Any of you want to admit that maybe the 49er front office dysfunction is an issue? It appears that the GM would have the title, but not the authority. Yeah, that’s gonna’ work out well
    ———————
    I don’t think any Niner fan would tell you that the front office isn’t dysfunctional. Trent Baalke gutted this team from top to bottom, and Jed York sat back and collected millions. Now that the fans have spoken and attendance and merchandise is down, Jed York is listening…until his pockets get fatter. If the Arizona’s Terry McDonough doesn’t get it, than I honestly have no idea who would be next.

  4. Why would you announce who the coach is before you hire the GM? This is total dysfunction, which means they will hire the guy from the Vikings.

  5. What if young Shan withdraws from the coaching consideration after playoffs? They’ll have to hire niners816 and ctiggs

  6. Where is Eddie D when we need him?

    This ship is sinking faster than the Titanic with york as captain.

  7. There’s not that many GM spots around and you would think that candidates would be jumping at opportunities. What does this say about the Niners?

  8. NOT a great plan by the Niners here. They should have hired a GM first and let him hire the head coach. What good GM candidate would want this job without authority over the roster (rumored to be part of Shanahan’s duties) and without the power to hire and fire the head coach?

  9. Papa Mike Shanahan will wait until the ’49ers’ collective butts are over the barrel and in the air before stepping in to either save or demolish the franchise, depending on how you look at it. He must be salivating!

    But – I also agree with seatownballers who said “What if young Shan withdraws from the coaching consideration after playoffs?”

    The whole KS to SF deal has been generated (maybe even manufactured) by the media; I don’t recall any direct affirmation of the RUMOR from any of the Niners’ brass.

    It would be pretty interesting if off season workouts and OTAs began and they still hadn’t found a head coach or GM willing to work for this Titanic of a franchise!

  10. Ted Stepien-levels of incompetence. The NFL needs to give this franchise a caretaker or put it under guardianship.
    People who play a violent game should not have decisions made by someone so unclear of the concept of rational decision-making.

    What has Jed York done to think he’s even remotely qualified to make football decisions? Smart owners know how much they don’t know.

  11. seatownballers says:
    Jan 20, 2017 12:44 PM

    What if young Shan withdraws from the coaching consideration after playoffs? They’ll have to hire niners816 and ctiggs

    ——————————————————–

    As I am a only a couple years younger than Jed, and we both reached the same education level. I probably would fair pretty well. At least I want to win!

  12. ctiggs says:
    Jan 20, 2017 1:17 PM
    seatownballers says:
    Jan 20, 2017 12:44 PM

    What if young Shan withdraws from the coaching consideration after playoffs? They’ll have to hire niners816 and ctiggs

    ——————————————————–

    As I am a only a couple years younger than Jed, and we both reached the same education level. I probably would fair pretty well. At least I want to win!
    ————————-
    I am a few years younger than Jed and also have my BA. We both want to win. I’ll be the GM, you can be the coach. That way if you suck, I know I’ll be able to can you within a year 🙂

  13. seatownballers says:
    Jan 20, 2017 12:44 PM

    What if young Shan withdraws from the coaching consideration after playoffs?
    ————————————————————
    I couldn’t believe it when I heard he was even interested in it.

    Seems like the worst, least stable job in the NFL.

  14. As a 49ers fan. I was excited when Chip and Baalke was fired. In my mind I would hope we would find another longterm coach. As this has played out I have been excited….But in the back of my head I knew something at the last second would happen. So now Im waiting for Kyle to back out leaving us with being worse than the browns.

  15. Coaching and gym candidates don’t tick around for the second interview and so-called faithful do t stick around for the second half. Sounds like a perfect fit.

  16. For the 49er “Fans” that keep asking for Eddie D to come back in thread after thread, you do realize he cant go back to that organization, right? Please go back and read up on when he was busted and what his punishment was. You 49er “fans” may also want to read up on the fact that Jeds Mom Denise owns your team. Jed is the face and spokeman for your organization by default after his dad the illustrious John York screwed up too many times. (Terry Donahue, Dennis Erikson, Mike Singletary etc………)

  17. It’s weird that Paton didn’t want to interview with other teams the last couple years, yet still has his hat in the ring in that 49ers mess.

  18. The perception of epic dysfunction is morphing into reality for Denise York and her family. Sooner or later the vitriolic diatribes are going to be aimed at her and not at Jed York. Doubtless the Yorks see themselves as victims of others’ incompetence in the case of Trent Balke – or the skilled though apparently difficult and arrogant Harbaugh. Forcing Harbaugh out was the height of childish ego by the York family. The only GM who will now take the job is one who can accept the reputational damage of being fired two or three years from now – or someone the York family trusts. As the family seems to have no familiars with a real football background it appears the GM will need to be a person at the end of his career – a job tailor made for daddy Mike.

  19. Just hire Mike Shanahan and be done with this. It’s the best the 9ers are going to be able to do for themselves at this point.

    PRAY you’re scouts are up to the task, not having a premiere guy at the top.

  20. I hear there are a bunch of moving companies in San Diego who have refused the job as well…

  21. djvh2 says:
    Jan 20, 2017 12:42 PM

    Why would you announce who the coach is before you hire the GM? This is total dysfunction, which means they will hire the guy from the Vikings.

    —————————————————–

    Jumping from a dumpster fire to a tire-dump fire.

  22. Smart man.

    Kyle, you oughta take note and do the same. You’re first priority is getting ATL to the SB. There will be other jobs next year available.

  23. The fitting end to this fiasco of a GM/Coach search would be the 49ers going back to Louis Riddick and telling him… “you were our guy all along, please take this job”.

  24. There’s something going on there and you don’t know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones.

    ———— Bob Dylan

  25. Pres. Tr*mp did Jets fans a huge favor when he named Woody ambassador to UK so getting him out of the team decisions. Maybe he could help out ‘Niners fans and name Jed ambassador to Zanzibar.

  26. DeBartolo certainly COULD come back. He was suspended for a YEAR and felt it was in the best interest of the family and franchise to walk away. I dunno why some people seem to think he was banished for life. Now here is the rub…. Eddie seems to show no inclination to do so. He had flirted with a return to ownership of other teams in the not so distant past but he seems to be at peace with it now. Unfortunately Jed has at least 50 more years here so we are hosed. IF Shanny doesn’t back out last second, then goes on to succeed it may go a very long way in regaining stability. If not we are in for 5-6 decades of misery as fans.

  27. Maybe Debartolo can’t come back because he is a CONVICTED FELON, and no I don’t believe he is currently eligible for NFL ownership as per owner vote.

  28. Why would Little Eddie come back? He has minions worshiping him because he won by cheating the salary cap and just about every morals clause and got away with it.

    His antics would last 5 minutes in today’s NFL.

  29. York continues to make Skins fans look at Snyder fondly, thinking “it could be worse…”

  30. Speculation about Mike Shanahan as GM is understandable. But I don’t think Mike has a great record as talent evaluator. He got booted from Denver in large part because he wasted draft picks. Can anyone remember Willie Middlebrooks?

    In fact, Mike Shanahan’s record is about like Baalke’s. Both had a few good picks, and a lot of busts.

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