49ers special teams were a year-long problem in all areas under Brian Schneider
The 49ers fired special teams coordinator Brian Schneider on Monday, the first move made by coach Kyle Shanahan after a 6-11 season.
Schneider’s units were a year-long problem in contributing to one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Place kicker Jake Moody slumped badly after missing three games with a high ankle sprain and ended up missing 10 field goal attempts in all. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky last nine games before he was sidelined with a back issue.
The 49ers coverage units were also ineffective, at one point losing both Moody and Matthew Wright when their kickers were forced to tackle on returns that had broken into the clear.
Schneider’s dismissal was first reported by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and was confirmed by a league source. Schneider, 53, coached three seasons for the 49ers after Shanahan fired Richard Hightower.
In the 49ers’ season-ending 47-24 loss to Arizona, Moody missed a 47-yard field goal attempt and the Cardinals’ DeeJay Dallas ran 22 yards on a fake punt attempt that led to a Cardinals field goal.
Before the season was at their bye week, the 49ers committed at least one special-teams gaffe in in six previous games. They included a blocked punt, a fake punt, a missed field goal, a last-minute punt return, a fumbled kick return, two injured kickers, a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown, a 55-yard punt return, a missed point-after kick, and an embarrassing onside kick.
“We’ve got to get a lot better at it. It’s pretty obvious to everybody,” Shanahan said at the time. . “It’s obvious to us, it’s been that way for a few weeks and can’t give you guys one narrative on it, because there’s not one narrative.”
The 49ers averaged just 9.2 yards per punt return (with rookie Jacob Cowing averaging 8.8) while giving up 13.7 yards per return. They averaged 28.5 yards per kickoff return while giving up 28.6.
Still to be determined is the status of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen after the 49ers’ defense collapsed repeatedly during a 2-6 finish. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are expected to address the media later this week.
