Shortly after the San Francisco 49ers announced Chip Kelly would be the team's new head coach, free safety Eric Reid tweeted out a question that is not getting a lot of play, but will be one of the more important decisions this offseason. Who will be defensive coordinator?
I vote Tim Lewis #DC
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) January 14, 2016
I believe Eric Mangini is still under contract with the 49ers. The team did not fire the contracts when they fired Jim Tomsula. Chris Foerster and Tony Sparano have found jobs elsewhere, but there have not been any rumors connecting the rest of the staff with jobs. My guess is some of them are interviewing for positions, but they remain under contract, for review by Chip Kelly.
The defensive coordinator role is going to be an important one for Kelly's coaching staff. Kelly will likely focus on the offense, and leave the defense for a qualified coordinator to handle. Former 49ers defensive coordinator Billy Davis (2005-2006) was Kelly's DC dating back to 2013.
The defense is important no matter what, but Kelly's fast-paced offense has resulted in his team's defenses having to do a lot of extra work. There will be jokes from 49ers offensive players about needing to get in shape, but it will be equally important for the defense. Mike Sando tweeted out these stats about the Philadelphia Eagles snap counts the last three years:
#Eagles D played #NFL-high 3411 snaps in 3 seasons under Kelly. Other teams averaged 3085. That's an extra 1.7 games per season over avg.
— Mike Sando, ESPN.com (@SandoESPN) January 14, 2016
Chip Kelly's introductory press conference is not happening until later next week, as Kelly is getting some time to figure out his coaching staff and bring it together. No names have been formally connected with him, and so we will wait and see what the next few days brings us. But that defensive coordinator role will be as important as any.
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