49ers make no-brainer coaching move in bid to fix one of their biggest issues from 2024 season
Among the many issues for the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, arguably their biggest on-field problem was the performance of their special teams. And coordinator Brian Schneider has reportedly paid the price. Schneider has been fired by the 49ers, according to a report from ESPN's Nick Wagoner. Hired in 2022, Schneider oversaw a dreadful season […]
Among the many issues for the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, arguably their biggest on-field problem was the performance of their special teams.
And coordinator Brian Schneider has reportedly paid the price.
Schneider has been fired by the 49ers, according to a report from ESPN's Nick Wagoner.
Hired in 2022, Schneider oversaw a dreadful season from the 49ers' special teams, which committed a series of mistakes throughout the year that contributed to San Francisco letting several games slip.
The 49ers finished the season 31st in DVOA, which measures per-play value, on special teams, per FTN Fantasy.
But San Francisco's special teams was by far the worst in the league by Expected Points Added. The 49ers finished with minus 64 EPA on special teams. No other team had an EPA of minus 40 in that facet of the game.
The Athletic's David Lombardi mentioned Darren Rizzi, who ended the year as interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints, as a potential name to watch as Schneider's replacement. Rizzi has served as special teams coordinator for both the Saints and the Miami Dolphins in his coaching career.
A change in that role is unlikely to be the last move the 49ers make as they aim to fix their special teams.
Indeed, kicker Jake Moody's future with the team could well be in significant jeopardy following an awful second year in the NFL from the 2023 third-round pick.
Moody went 24 of 34 on field goals in 2024, his 70.6 field goal percentage well down from his rookie mark of 84 percent. Drafted for his ability to make long-range kicks, Moody was four of nine from 50-plus yards and, more worryingly, six of 11 from 40-plus yards.
The former Michigan kicker may well join Schneider through the exit door and, after the special teams proved a significant albatross to the Niners in a losing season, it is critical they make the right additions to ensure the only way is up for what was the worst unit on their team in 2024.
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