The 49ers May Have Found Kyle Shanahan's Next Coaching Success Story

The Kyle Shanahan coaching tree might be spreading another branch soon. While the San Francisco 49ers' linebackers coach K.J. Wright told Matt Barrows of The Athletic that he does plan to be a great linebackers coach for the team, he also said that his goals are higher than that.

He did not specifically say that he wants to be a head coach, but the former Pro Bowl linebacker did say he wants to be a defensive coordinator someday. While Wright is still new to coaching and in his first full season as a positional coach, he is in the right place if he wants to rise among the coaching ranks.

K.J. Wright plans to be the San Francisco 49ers' next assistant turned head coach

Shanahan has had one of the most poached coaching staffs in the NFL. Since being hired by the 49ers, Shanahan has seen six coaches who were once assistants who went on to become head coaches.

Mike McDaniel is not currently a head coach, but was the head man in Miami from 2022-25. Jeff Hafley and Robert Saleh just got hired to be head coaches. This will be the second time that a stop in San Francisco led to Saleh getting a new job.

DeMeco Ryans is the most successful 49ers assistant to turn into a head coach. He has three playoff wins in three seasons with the team. Then, there are Mike LaFleur and Klint Kubiak, two coaches who will make their debuts as head coaches in 2026.

Even going back to when he was an offensive coordinator, he was a part of the Houston Texans' hiring of Matt LaFleur in 2008. LaFleur then followed Shanahan to Washington, taking a promotion to quarterbacks coach. He followed Shanahan to the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 as well before branching off and becoming a head coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Of course, Sean McVay was also an assistant under Shanahan going back to 2010.

So, if Shanahan sees something in you as a young, up-and-coming option for a coaching staff, everyone in the league is going to take notice.

It might not take long for Wright to get his wish and get a chance as a playcaller for some teams' defense. It might even be the 49ers once Rahaeem Morris gets another head coaching job. Starting your career under Shanahan is the best thing an assistant can do, so Wright has a strong leg up.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/49ers/onsi as The 49ers May Have Found Kyle Shanahan's Next Coaching Success Story.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 9:00 AM.