Kyle Shanahan adds to his staff, bringing in Roman Sapolu.
The San Francisco 49ers continue shaping their coaching staff for the upcoming season, and their latest addition carries both professional experience and deep franchise ties.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is bringing Miami Dolphins assistant Roman Sapolu aboard, adding another young offensive mind while reconnecting the organization with a familiar football family name.
Sapolu is the son of former 49ers offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, a cornerstone of San Francisco’s dominant teams in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jesse Sapolu spent 15 seasons with the franchise from 1983 to 1997, starting 154 games and helping the 49ers capture four Super Bowl titles.
His legacy still resonates throughout the organization, making his son’s arrival a meaningful full-circle moment.
Roman Sapolu arrives after spending the 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins as an offensive assistant under head coach Mike McDaniel, a former Shanahan protégé.
That connection likely helped facilitate the move, as Shanahan continues to prioritize coaches familiar with his offensive philosophy and coaching tree.
Sapolu’s exposure to Miami’s dynamic offensive system should give him a smooth transition into San Francisco’s scheme.
Before his stint in Miami, Sapolu built his coaching résumé at the college level.
He served two seasons at the University of Hawaii as offensive line coach, earning a promotion to co-offensive coordinator in his second year.
Prior to that, he coached the offensive line at Fresno State from 2019 through 2021, gaining valuable experience developing young linemen and coordinating run-game concepts.
Sapolu’s connection to the 49ers actually began years earlier.
In 2018, he participated in the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship with San Francisco, working closely with the offensive line during training camp.
That early exposure to the organization and Shanahan’s staff likely helped establish familiarity that now comes full circle with his hiring.
As a player, Sapolu spent four seasons at Oregon State before transitioning into coaching.
He began that journey as a graduate assistant at Nebraska from 2015 to 2017, steadily climbing the coaching ladder through persistence and diverse experience at both collegiate and NFL levels.
The hire comes amid several offseason adjustments for the 49ers’ coaching staff.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and assistant Gus Bradley departed for roles with the Tennessee Titans, while defensive backs coach Daniel Bullocks accepted a position with the Green Bay Packers.
Adding Roman Sapolu provides Shanahan with another coach steeped in offensive line development and familiar with modern NFL offensive trends.
It also reconnects the 49ers to a proud chapter of franchise history, blending tradition with forward-looking coaching development as the team prepares for another competitive season.