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The San Francisco 49ers have been connected to Jason Tarver and Eric Mangini in regard to their vacant defensive coordinator position, but there may have been another name on the radar. According to Mike Klis, the 49ers wanted to offer their defensive coordinator job, as well as an assistant head coach title to Cincinnati Bengals defensive backs coach Vance Joseph. The Bengals have denied Joseph permission to interview with the 49ers and Broncos (who want him as DC). Matt Barrows has since reported the Joseph information himself (well, the DC part of it).
The column is centered around Klis demanding the Bengals allow Joseph to interview for potential promotions with other teams. We've seen discussion of this already amidst word that the 49ers and Rams are two teams trying to interview Rob Chudzinski for their vacant offensive coordinator jobs.
A coach under contract has to get permission to interview with other teams. When a coach has an opportunity to be a head coach, teams always allow the interview. When a coach has an opportunity to interview for a promotion to anything under head coach, the team can decline permission. It is happening with Joseph and Chudzinski, and we have seen it happen with the 49ers as well. In 2012 and 2013, the team declined other team's requests to interview Ed Donatell for vacant defensive coordinator roles.
It might be viewed as a jerk move, but with a coach under contract that you value, it makes sense to prevent interviews. In the case of Chudzinski, it is entirely possible the Colts think they can work out some kind of new role for Chudzinski, and thus keep him in town. If that's the case, it makes sense to maintain one more week of exclusivity.
Joseph won't be coming to San Francisco, but it would have been interesting, to say the least. Joseph got his NFL start with the 49ers in 2005, after spending six seasons as a college assistant. Joseph was the 49ers assistant defensive backs coach in 2005, and then defensive backs coach from 2006 to 2010.