One the 49ers’ top GM candidates, Kansas City’s Chris Ballard, declined a request to be interviewed on Monday
On Tuesday, York and Co. sealed an interview for later this week with another top candidate, ESPN’s Louis Riddick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Insider alert: ESPN analyst Louis Riddick will interview next week in NY for 49ers’ GM job, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 3, 2017
Riddick went on ESPN Tuesday morning and explained why he thinks the 49ers GM job is most appealing and why he’d come work for Jed York.
Here’s what Riddick said (h/t Niners Nation)
“Right now I think the most appealing job is the one where you’re going to be able to go in and start fresh with a GM and a head coach, and where they’re really gonna let you build it, and put in the foundation, and then let everything build and rise from there,” Riddick said. “Which to me, even though it’s a daunting task given the fact that personnel-wise this roster has been depleted, I like the situation that is coming to bear in San Francisco. I like what Jed York is trying to do as far as saying, hey look, I tried to piece-meal this thing together over the past three years.
“I think he will need to be patient, he already said he will be patient. He will give, whoever is given that position, the support and the time to get that done. So, I think in that way, when we come full circle with it, it winds up becoming a very attractive situation, as long as he makes good on everything he said he would.”
Riddick was put on the spot: Would he take the job?
“[Laugh]. Sure I would … There’s not a whole lot of impediments to the success there, provided that he makes good on everything that he says, and why wouldn’t you take him at this word?” Riddick said. “I think you see a guy who understands that, look, I’ve gotten some things wrong. I mean, really, what else do you want him to say. You want him to tear his shirt off and say, hey, what do you wanna do? You wanna mark me? What do you wanna do? I think he is kinda laying it out there, again, to be judged in the future if he doesn’t do what he says he’s gonna do. So, what more do you want.”