New San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said his primary objective is to help coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch deliver the franchise its first Super Bowl, according to the report. Morris joined the 49ers in February and is the club’s fifth defensive coordinator in as many years, the report says.
The report notes that under Shanahan and Lynch the 49ers have reached the postseason five times in nine seasons, including two Super Bowl trips and four appearances in the NFC title game, but have not captured a championship. Morris told Bay Area media that achieving a title for the organization, its leaders and its players is the reason he coaches and that the prospect gives him chills, per the report.
Morris and Shanahan have a long-standing relationship that dates to the early 2000s. The two worked together as entry-level quality control coaches on Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay staff in 2004, with Morris on the defensive side under coordinator Monte Kiffin while Shanahan assisted on offense. They reunited in Washington in 2012-13 when Shanahan was offensive coordinator under Mike Shanahan and Morris coached the defensive backs, per the report.
When Shanahan became Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, he brought Morris along and Morris held titles including assistant head coach with duties as defensive pass game coordinator and later assistant head coach working with receivers. Shanahan tried to hire Morris when he left for San Francisco, but Atlanta denied the request; Morris then took an offensive pass game coordinator role under Falcons coach Dan Quinn, according to the report. Morris later served as the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator beginning in 2021, was part of the staff that won Super Bowl LVI, and returned to Atlanta as head coach in 2024 before being dismissed, the report says.
The report adds that Shanahan remained in close contact with Morris over the years, and that Morris explored other opportunities — including an interview for the Arizona Cardinals’ head coaching job — before accepting the 49ers’ offer. Morris spoke to Bay Area media for the first time since his hiring on Thursday, per the report.
