The San Francisco 49ers have chosen Chip Kelly as their next head coach over Mike Shanahan according to ESPN.

According to NBC Sports, Shanahan was interested in being the very next coach for the 49ers. Shanahan has not coached the last two years after being fired by owner Daniel Snyder with the Washington Redskins. Shanahan coached the Redskins for four seasons leading them to one playoff appearance and one NFC East title.

Differences with upper management and quarterback Robert Griffin III ultimately led to a breakup. Ironically, Griffin is on his way out of D.C. while Kirk Cousins, who Shanahan drafted, is now the starter.

As for the 49ers, they fired Jim Tomsula this year after just one season with the team. That decision seemed like a huge surprise at the time, but it would make sense if you can bring in a big name head coach like Shanahan. Many 49ers fans are still upset considering the fact that Jed York ousted Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to three conference champions games, five playoff wins and a Super Bowl appearance in just four years.

But, what's done is done. The 49ers could have got a great deal if they brought in Shanahan. Head coaching vacancies are decreasing around the league, so the 49ers had to act fast. Both the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns recently made hires, and the New York Giants decided to upgrade Ben McAdoo from offensive coordinator to head coach. The Philadelphia Eagles have shown a lot of interest in former Giants coach Tom Coughlin. However, on Thursday, Coughlin announced he had dropped out of the Eagles race to become their next head coach.

Many NFL fans believe the 49ers could be a great choice for Chip Kelly, who was let go by the Eagles after Week 16. Kelly could be the right guy to rejuvenate Colin Kaepernick's career because of the spread option offense he prefers to run. On the other hand, Kelly hasn't proven he can win big in the NFL like Shanahan has.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1