Mike LaFleur's coaching roots fast track to NFL

TEMPE, Arizona -- Mike LaFleur's career is about to come full circle on Sunday.

Twelve years ago, as a 27-year-old, LaFleur's first NFL season was spent on the banks of Lake Erie as an offensive intern for the Cleveland Browns under the direction of a young, up-and-coming offensive coordinator named Kyle Shanahan.

Until then, LaFleur had spent his coaching career at small colleges such Division III Elmhurst, Division II J Joseph's and Division I FCS Davidson, watching his older brother, Matt, make the jump to the NFL in 2008 and engrain himself with a group of young, nascent coaches who would go on to become friends and a coaching "crew," as one of them described it, that currently holds six of the league's 32 head-coaching jobs.

In Week 1, that "crew", which includes Rams head coach Sean McVay, Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh, Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers head coach, watched as Mike LaFleur walked the sidelines as a head coach for the first time, getting a win in his debut. And on Sunday, they'll all have an eye on his first game as a head coach against his NFL sherpa, Shanahan, when the Cardinals visit the 49ers (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox). Mike LaFleur was Shanahan's pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2017 to 2020.

The sentimentality of the moment Sunday has lost its shine after LaFleur faced Shanahan six times during three seasons as the Rams' offensive coordinator, but this one will, eventually, mean something.

"When you're in the moment, you're in the moment, you're not thinking about that stuff," LaFleur said. "I'm excited to see him before the game, obviously, say what's up, but then it's on and that's how they're going to feel and that's how we feel.

"And I'm sure when all is said and done next February and we get to see each other in the offseason, we'll talk about it. But I mean, this is the Niners versus the Cardinals."

In LaFleur, who followed Shanahan from Cleveland to the Atlanta Falcons and then to the 49ers -- seven straight seasons in all -- Shanahan saw someone who was "as good as any of those other guys" that Shanahan had on his staff.

That's saying something coming from Shanahan.

Seven of his former assistants, starting from his time as the Houston Texans' offensive coordinator in 2008 to his time as the 49ers head coach, have gone on to become NFL head coaches. And it's quite a group: McVay, Matt LaFleur, Saleh, Hafley, former Dolphins head coach and current Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and, now, Mike LaFleur.

"I've had a couple of these guys and Mike's right there with all those dudes in terms of he's very smart, he knows the game," Shanahan said. "There's lots of coaches who can do some good stuff, but you always know guys in your building who see it a little bit better than most people, and Mike's one of those guys."

MIKE'S THE BABY of the group of Shanahan disciples at 39 years old, and after he got hired, the love showered on him felt like big brothers bragging about their little sibling.

"I think he's one of the real good guys in this league," Hafley said. "He's going to treat people the right way."

"Mikey's going to be a successful head coach because of his ability to communicate with his players, communicate with everyone in the building," Saleh said. "He's got a clear vision, and he can articulate it the right way."

They're spread out across divisions and conferences but still keep tabs on each other. Hackett and Matt LaFleur FaceTime regularly. Mike and Matt talk often. And they see each other throughout the season.

"It's a cool, close-knit circle in the National Football League where if you're fortunate enough to be here long enough, you can work with some really talented people," McDaniel said.

And after LaFleur's Week 1 over the Chargers, the texts flooded in.

"I was really happy for Mike," McVay said. "He's obviously one of my closest friends and I love Mike. He's meant a lot to me and my family, his family has. I thought it was an awesome day for the Cardinals. I thought they looked really good in all three phases. I got a chance to watch that whole game.

"It's unique because they're in the division, but it overrides because it's like family. Being able to see mom and dad and how nervous they were in the stands. ...Mom was excited to see it, even when they were in four-minute mode and had control when they showed them on the TV, and seeing Lauren and the kids. It was cool. They looked awesome."

Hackett couldn't help but smile thinking about everyone attached to each other becoming a head coach at some point in their careers, him included in 2022 with the Denver Broncos for a season.

"It's awesome," Hackett said. "I mean, all of us. I'm so happy for anybody that gets that opportunity. I mean, the reality of it is you never know what's going to happen."

Yet, his friends recognize why LaFleur has a shot to be a success. "I think the biggest thing for Mike," said Ryans, who was on the 49ers staff with LaFleur from 2017 to 2020, "is him being able to learn under Kyle for however many years he was there."

ON THE DAY LaFleur was introduced as the Cardinals' head coach, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who hired LaFleur in Atlanta in 2015, sent him a quick text message. He followed up with a call later that night to tell LaFleur how "pumped I am for him" and that he'd be there for LaFleur to bounce ideas off or if something comes across his desk that he didn't know how to handle or wasn't prepared for as a first-time head coach.

Then, about six weeks later, at the NFL's annual meetings in Phoenix, Quinn got to tell LaFleur in person how proud he was of his latest protégé becoming a head coach. In 2015, when Quinn was hired as the Atlanta Falcons' head coach, he built a staff that included LaFleur as an offensive assistant, his brother as quarterbacks coach, Shanahan as offensive coordinator and McDaniel as another offensive assistant.

All four have gone on to be head coaches. "I would say I hope during the time that we were together, there's something that was significant in their development to be where they're at and be authentic in that way," Quinn told ESPN. "And I'm hopeful that I showed that and demonstrated that in some way to them and that they're able to hit into that same space.

"But, man, I'm incredibly proud of them."

Commanders reporter John Keim, Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jaques, 49ers reporter Nick Wagoner, Titans reporter Turron Davenport, Rams reporter Sarah Barshop and Chargers reporter Kris Rhim contributed to this report.