There is no doubt that there are a lot of egos in football. If you don’t have confidence, the game really isn’t for you. From players to coaches, lack of confidence can lead to hesitation and hesitation can lead to missed assignments and plays. So when Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh chose to add “pass rush specialist” Chris Kiffin to the coaching staff, defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina had to adjust his approach and share the room with him.
It’s not that Zgonina didn’t have some success last year amid many challenges. The 49ers went from being 31st in run defense in 2016 to being ranked 17th in 2017 according to Football Outsiders.