The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday announced a slew of changes to their coaching staff.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the announcement was new quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi. He’s replacing Brian Griese, who was initially hired in that position for the 49ers before the 2022 season. It’s unclear whether Griese was let go, walked away, or took a job elsewhere.
Griese did play a key role in overseeing the development of quarterback Brock Purdy who was a rookie in Griese’s first year as the team’s QB coach.
Here’s a quick rundown of the new coaching staff changes:
Colt Anderson: Assistant special teams
Anderson is one of five new hires. He was the special teams coordinator for the Tennessee Titans last season after spending four years with the Cincinnati Bengals as a special teams assistant.
Ronald Blair III: Special teams quality control
This is a familiar name for people who follow the 49ers closely. The former 49ers defensive lineman spent last season as a defensive line assistant with San Francisco as a Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellow. He’ll join Brant Boyer’s special teams staff with Anderson. Blair spent five seasons in the NFL and contributed on special teams throughout his career with the 49ers and New York Jets.
Gus Bradley: Assistant head coach of defense
This is a nice get for San Francisco. He’ll ostensibly replace Brandon Staley who held this position last year before leaving to take the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator job. Bradley has been a defensive coordinator for 12 seasons in the NFL with a deep foundation in the scheme head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to run.
Ray Brown: Defensive backs/cornerbacks
This is Brown’s first NFL coaching job. He was most recently the secondary coach for Boston College, but before that he coached cornerbacks at Washington State, Utah State, Troy and Abilene Christian. He’ll be tasked with overseeing a secondary in transition with at least one new starter likely entering the fold this offseason.
Chris Foerster: Assistant head coach/offensive line
This is just a title change for Foerster who has been with San Francisco since 2018. He was previously the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator.
Joe Graves: Offensive assistant/quarterbacks
Graves also received a title change after three years in San Francisco. Prior to this change he was an assistant offensive line coach. He’ll help Lombardi in his first season as the QB coach.
Patrick Hagedorn: Chief of Staff, Football
Hagedorn has become a mainstay in the building for San Francisco. This will be his ninth season with them. He’s also served as an assistant to the head coach and assistant to the coaching staff.
Leonard Hankerson: Wide receivers/passing game specialist
It’s been a rapid rise through the 49ers coaching staff for Hankerson. He started in 2021 as an offensive quality control coach. He was promoted to wide receivers coach the following year, and now he’ll add passing game specialist to his list of duties. Keep an eye on Hankerson for head coach openings if the 49ers offense bounces back in 2025.
Andrew Hayes-Stoker: Offensive assistant/wide receivers
Hayes-Stoker also got a title change by flipping to the other side of the ball. He was previously a defensive quality control coach for two years and an assistant defensive backs coach for two years. Now he’ll assist Hankerson with the wide receivers in his fifth season with the 49ers.
Klay Kubiak: Offensive coordinator
Shanahan indicated at his end-of-season press conference this move was coming. It’s now been officially announced.
Mick Lombardi: Quarterbacks
The 2025 season will be Lombardi’s second consecutive year with San Francisco in his second stint with the club. He was also with San Francisco from 2013-16 as an assistant to head coach Jim Harbaugh, a defensive assistant and an offensive quality control coach. Before landing as the 49ers’ senior offensive assistant last season, he was the Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. Lombardi was also an assistant quarterbacks coach for the Jets in 2017-18, and with the New England Patriots in 2019.
Jake Lynch: Defensive quality control
This is Lynch’s first NFL job after working as a graduate assistant with the University of Washington. He’s general manager John Lynch’s son.
Greg Scruggs: Assistant defensive line
Scruggs is another new hire for the 49ers. His previous NFL experience came in 2022 as an assistant defensive line coach for the Jets when 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was their head coach. He was the defensive line coach for the University of Wisconsin in 2023 and didn’t coach last season. He played for five years in the NFL, and spent his rookie season on the defensive line when Bradley was the defensive coordinator.
Jacob Webster: Offensive quality control
Webster got a new title after two years as a defensive quality control coach.