The San Francisco 49ers won’t have head coach Kyle Shanahan calling plays for them to begin the preseason. First-year offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak will be taking over for the team’s first contest against the Denver Broncos this weekend.
Kubiak was promoted from offensive passing game specialist this offseason, in his fifth year with the 49ers. The new coordinator has played a big role in San Francisco’s offensive gameplan throughout his time with the team.
Kyle Shanahan on promoting Klay Kubiak to offensive coordinator:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) January 8, 2025
“Klay’s role is going to be the same as it’s been, which has been the offensive coordinator. He just hasn’t had that title yet. Klay has done as much as anyone on offense for the last two years. This is his second… pic.twitter.com/ptnEMoPcgQ
The last name Kubiak has been around the NFL in different facets, with Klay’s father both playing and coaching for different teams, along with his brother Klint being hired as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator this offseason as well.
Most of the 49ers’ starters will not play in Saturday’s game against the Broncos, but Kubiak will have the opportunity to continue to experiment with calling a game, while Shanahan can take a back seat and focus on observing.
Unless something changes, Kubiak will most likely call plays for the duration of the preseason. San Francisco has had great success developing coordinators under Shanahan, hoping that Kubiak can be next in line.
With a resume that includes playing quarterback at Colorado State from 2007-2010 and some head coaching experience at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory from 2018-2020, Kubiak has seen many different aspects of the football field.
The play calling through the preseason will most likely look similar to Shanahan’s style for the most part, as the head coach has relied on Kubiak for decision-making throughout his tenure.
In 2024, Kubiak called plays in both the preseason as well as the final game of the regular season against the Arizona Cardinals, a game the 49ers lost 47-24.
San Francisco has consistently been in the top half of the league offensively since Kubiak’s arrival five years ago, playing a large role in the team’s success on that side of the ball, and earning the trust of Shanahan and the rest of the organization enough to be named the team's preseason play caller once again.