Falcons owner endorses Kyle Shanahan for 49ers coaching job

Kyle Shanahan may not need it by now but his candidacy for 49ers coach is being endorsed by his current boss, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

'I know (Shanahan) has been interviewed and I know he has interest,' Blank told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. 'I saw (49ers CEO) Jed York at an owners' meeting and we chatted a little bit about his candidate pool. I spoke highly of Kyle. We'll see what happens.'

The 49ers can't formally hire Shanahan, the Falcons offensive coordinator, until Atlanta's playoff run ends. The Falcons host the NFC Championship Game on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, with the winner advancing to Super Bowl LI on Feb. 5.

Shanahan is in his second season with the Falcons, previously serving in the same role with the Houston Texans (2008-09), Washington (2010-13) and the Cleveland Browns (2014). His father, Mike, previously coached the Raiders, the Denver Broncos and Washington.

'I think Kyle has focused hard on being inclusive this year (with) the other players and coaches,' Blank told ESPN in a phone interview. 'He's focused on that. He's focused on being a good listener and trying to understand where they were coming from.

'Kyle is a brilliant offensive mind and a great play-caller,' Blank added. 'Part of being good at any position of leadership in life is being a good listener and understanding where other people are coming from. That just makes you better. I think he got better this year in that regard. And I think he and Matt (Ryan) were more on the same page this year than they've been in the past.'

The Falcons hired Quinn two years ago, waiting to officially do so after the Seattle Seahawks lost in the Super Bowl with Quinn as their defensive coordinator. Quinn on Wednesday said he's shared with Shanahan what his hiring process was like, but the Falcons coach declined comment further on the 49ers' intentions.