Fooch’s update: Matt Maiocco chatted with Rathman and posted the interview here. The basic rundown is this:
“I’m not going to be back,” Rathman said. “I feel like it’s the best for everybody if I just parted and let those guys do their thing and take me out of the equation so that nobody’s uncomfortable.
“I’m looking to coach running backs and that’s what I want to do. I’m just going to wait for the next opportunity and go for it when it happens.”
We have some disappointing news about Tom Rathman. Matt Maiocco spoke with the San Francisco 49ers now former running backs coach, and he will not be returning to the team in 2017. He told Matt Barrows that there are no hard feelings, and that is simply the way the business operates.
New 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan brought Atlanta Falcons running backs coach Bobby Turner with him in taking over the team. Shanahan had promised Turner that whenever he got a head coaching job, Turner would join him as his running backs coach.
Losing Rathman is a huge disappointment. He is generally viewed as one of the best at what he does, and of course he has the championship 49ers pedigree. Every single 49ers running back who is asked about Rathman swears by him.
I recently spoke with our friends at The Falcoholic and they had nothing but praise for Turner.
“Bobby Turner's reputation precedes him. As the longtime running backs coach for the Denver Broncos, Turner was a Super Bowl winner and at least partially responsible for the tremendous success of Hall of Famer Terrell Davis. He also got a ton out of Alfred Morris in Washington and tutored Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman during his two years in Atlanta, helping to turn them into one of the NFL's most dynamic running back duos.
“It would be fair to say that Turner's track record suggests he's one of the best at what he does in the NFL, and he should be an excellent addition for Kyle Shanahan, who has worked with him since Washington.”
The upside I suppose is that the 49ers will hopefully not lose a step in the coaching ranks. It does not make it any less disappointing, but hopefully the sting goes away sooner rather than later.