The San Francisco 49ers had significant turnover on their coaching staff this offseason, and one of their new hires is Roy Anderson, the assistant defensive backs coach. Anderson will serve as the primary assistant to defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley. Here is a quick look at Anderson’s coaching resume, which started after he was a four-year quarterback at Howard University.
2012-2015: Indianapolis Colts - Safeties
2010-2011: Baltimore Ravens - Defensive Assistant/Secondary
2009: Baltimore Ravens - Defensive Assistant
2008: Baltimore Ravens - Coaching Assistant
2005-2007: Baltimore Ravens - Player Personnel Assistant
2004: Louisiana State - Graduate Assistant
2003: Florida State - Student Assistant
2002: Florida A&M - Graduate Assistant
It turns out his time in Baltimore is what got him a job with the 49ers. The News-Press had a feature on Anderson on Friday, which provided some great background material about the 49ers assistant. Coaches below the coordinator level often fly far enough under the radar that we don’t really know much about them. There are exceptions (Tom Rathman), but position coaches, and particularly assistant position coaches can be fairly anonymous.
The article mentions that Anderson was fired by the Indianapolis Colts, one of several assistants fired while Chuck Pagano kept his job. Anderson began his job search by calling past coaches with which he had worked. Former Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine was one coach he called. They had worked together in Baltimore, where Anderson was just starting his NFL coaching career, and Pettine was coaching outside linebackers. Pettine recommended Anderson to new 49ers defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil, and it would seem the recommendation helped.
The 49ers secondary has a chance of being one of the strengths on this defense. Eric Reid and Antoine Bethea will start at safety, with Jaquiski Tartt offering a hybrid role. It would appear Tramaine Brock and Jimmie Ward will start at cornerback, but there are questions about who will be the slot corner, and how the rest of the depth chart will shake out. There is a lot of young talent in the secondary, so the coaching staff will be particularly critical in helping that group develop. I’m particularly curious to see what the staff does with Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah. Robinson has great length, but he has not played in a game in over a year-and-a-half. Iworah has incredible athleticism, but is raw as a cornerback. Those are two guys with upside that will need some solid coaching to shape up.