Mike Shanahan is the leading candidate to replace Jim Tomsula as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL Network and CSN Bay Area reported Thursday that Shanahan, who interviewed for the job Tuesday, could be hired before the weekend.
Shanahan, 63, is 170-138 as a head coach in the NFL including back-to-back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. However, without John Elway as his quarterback, Shanahan has one playoff victory and was run out of Washington when the franchise failed to move forward with No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III.
Shanahan is being endorsed to ownership by former 49ers quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, according to CSN Bay Area. Shanahan was offensive coordinator of the 49ers in 1994, when San Francisco beat the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.
The offensive-minded coach could have plans to fix the quarterback position, a top offseason concern with the status of Colin Kaepernick in doubt following surgery.
The other candidates for the job are Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and former Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Koetter is also a candidate to replace Lovie Smith as head coach of the Buccaneers.