With multiple reports surfacing yesterday that they have all but locked up their next head coach, the 49ers narrowed down their list of GM candidates Wednesday morning, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
#49ers will have GM candidates Eliot Wolf, Brian Gutekunst — both from #Packers — along with #Vikings exec George Paton for 2nd interviews
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2017
The 49ers confirmed they are holding a second round of interviews, but have yet to disclose the candidates.
Interestingly, Arizona Cardinals VP of player personnel Terry McDonough appears to have not been granted a second interview, despite originally being reported as the most likely pairing for Kyle Shanahan, who will reportedly accept the 49ers’ head coaching job once the Falcons’ season ends.
Along with McDonough, Seattle co-directors of player personnel Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, Carolina assistant general manager Brandon Beane and Indianapolis vice president of football operations Jimmy Raye III are the candidates who have reportedly not been granted a second interview. Both Kirchner and head coaching candidate Tom Cable reportedly dropped out last night, as they believed they were being used as leverage for the 49ers to land Shanahan as head coach.
Of the three candidates who will be interviewing a second time, Mike Silver of NFL Network is reporting that Gutekunst is the frontrunner. Silver also reported Thursday night that Shanahan will “essentially get to pick his GM from the available candidates.”
According to Rapoport, the Packers can put off any GM interviews until their season has ended.
Gutekunst, 43, is completing his first season as the Packers’ director of player personnel, in his 18th season with the organization. Gutekunst’s background is in college scouting, and he served as the director of that department for Green Bay from 2012-2015.
Wolf, 32, was the Packers’ previous director of player personnel, before being promoted to director of football operations this season. Wolf has been working with the Packers’ personnel department since he was in high school, and is the son of longtime Packers GM Ron Wolf.
Paton is in his 10th season with the Vikings, and currently serves as the assistant general manager under Rick Spielman.