Agent: Tom Cable staying with Seahawks after 49ers interview
Jan 17, 2017, 4:09 PM | Updated: 4:11 pm
(AP)
Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable is staying put. That was apparent when an ESPN report Tuesday afternoon stated that the 49ers plan to offer their head-coaching job to Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and it was confirmed shortly after that when Cable’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, announced this on Twitter:
“Just spoke with my client Tom Cable and he is reaffirming his commitment to the Seahawks. He wishes to thank the 49ers for the consideration.”
Cable interviewed for the 49ers job on Sunday and was the other finalist along with Shanahan, whose Falcons advanced to the NFC title game after beating Seattle last weekend. The ESPN report from Adam Schefter stated that San Francisco will offer Shanahan the job once Atlanta’s season is over.
It’s unclear based on that wording if Cable bowed out while he was still in consideration or if it was merely a concession that San Francisco had decided on Shanahan instead. Either way, he’s coming back to the Seahawks after just completing his sixth season with the team.
And that could explain why Trent Kirchner, the Seahawks’ co-director of player personnel, has decided to stay in Seattle as well after interviewing for the 49ers’ general-manager job, according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Cable would naturally be Kirchner’s choice to coach the team. So his reported decision to withdraw may be about preferring his current situation in Seattle and waiting for an opportunity in which he can select his own coach as opposed to what would be an arranged marriage, so to speak, with Shanahan.
Scott Fitterer, who shares duties with Kirchner as the Seahawks’ co-directors of player personnel, has also interviewed for the 49ers’ GM job.
Cable and defensive coordinator Kris Richard were the two Seahawks assistants known to have interviewed for head-coaching jobs elsewhere. With both coming back, Seattle’s staff should remain intact barring any decisions by Pete Carroll to shake things up.