Former longtime Seahawks linebacker KJ Wright is joining the 49ers as an assistant linebackers coach/defensive quality control, according to... Wright himself.
Wright announced the move Monday on his YouTube channel.
"To Kyle Shanahan, to John Lynch, the 49er faithful, I'm excited, I'm ready to roll. It's going to be really, really fun," Wright said. "This is where my heart is. My heart is in coaching. My heart is in building something special... This is what I've been called to do."
Wright said that he was the one who ran linebacker meetings through most of his career. He spent 10 years in Seattle from 2011-2020, making one Pro Bowl in 2016, and actually debuted against the 49ers. He finished his career in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 11-year NFL veteran has no official coaching experience, but neither did DeMeco Ryans when the 49ers hired him as a defensive quality control. Kyle Shanahan said that year for Ryans was largely about figuring out whether he was willing to pursue the coaching lifestyle after a long career.
Ryans obviously was. He was promoted to inside linebackers coach, spending three years in that role before becoming defensive coordinator, a role he occupied for two seasons before taking the Houston Texans head coaching job.
It's an encouraging hire for the 49ers, and one that's necessary on the defensive side of the ball, where San Francisco has been lacking in young coaching talent. The 49ers will likely announce the move along with a number of other hirings and position changes at the same time this offseason.
To read more about Kyle Shanahan's talent for hiring and replacing talented coaches, check out this story here , from Super Bowl week.
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