49ers Hire College Assistant Who Engineered Major O-Line Turnaround

Kent State's Angel Matute joins San Francisco's coaching staff after boosting protection and rushing attack.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The San Francisco 49ers have hired Kent State offensive line coach Angel Matute to join their coaching staff. Matute was instrumental in dramatically improving Kent State's pass protection and rushing attack over the past two seasons, cutting sacks allowed from 43 in 2024 to just 27 in 2025 while also boosting the team's rushing yards per game by 20 yards. Matute has prior ties to the 49ers organization, having participated in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program in 2024.

Why it matters

The 49ers are looking to bolster their offensive line after a disappointing 2025 season, and Matute's track record of success in developing an offensive line makes him an attractive hire. His ability to improve both pass protection and run-blocking will be crucial for the 49ers as they look to get their offense back on track.

The details

During his tenure at Kent State, Matute helped the team cut its sacks allowed from 43 in 2024 to just 27 in 2025, a drop of 16 sacks. He also oversaw a 20-yard per game improvement in the team's rushing attack. Prior to Kent State, Matute spent the 2024 season as an assistant offensive line coach at Purdue and was a graduate assistant at Minnesota from 2022-2023, where he played a key role in run-game scheming, protection-drawings, scout team leadership, and pressure-performance analysis.

  • Matute spent the 2024 season as an assistant offensive line coach at Purdue.
  • From 2022 to 2023, Matute was a graduate assistant at Minnesota.
  • In 2024, Matute participated in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the 49ers.

The players

Angel Matute

The new offensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers, who previously held the same role at Kent State University where he engineered a major turnaround in the team's pass protection and rushing attack.

Matt Eberflus

The former Chicago Bears head coach who has joined the 49ers as a defensive assistant to the newly appointed defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.

Raheem Morris

The newly appointed defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

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What they’re saying

“Was key in Kent State cutting its sacks allowed total from 43 in 2024 to 27 last season. Also helped the team improve its rushing average by 20 yards per game.”

— Matt Zenitz, CBS Sports Reporter (Twitter)

What’s next

The 49ers will be looking to Matute to quickly implement his successful offensive line coaching strategies to help improve the team's pass protection and rushing attack ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

The takeaway

The 49ers' hiring of Angel Matute, who engineered a dramatic turnaround in Kent State's offensive line play, signals the team's commitment to rebuilding their offensive line and returning to the level of success they enjoyed in recent seasons. Matute's proven track record of developing effective pass protection and run-blocking schemes could be a key factor in the 49ers' offensive resurgence.