Report: 49ers to hire Ben Peterson to oversee both training and medical staff

The 49ers are taking a page from the NHL and hiring a former member of the Philadelphia Flyers training staff.

The San Francisco 49ers are looking to the NHL, not the NFL, for their next hire. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports that the organization is looking to hire Ben Peterson to oversee both the medical and strength-training staffs. The role is a new one, meant to bring together both departments and make things more collaborative.

If the name isn’t familiar to football fans, that’s because Peterson comes after a two-year stint with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers as their director of sports science. Being the manager of both departments, the first thing Peterson will need to do is hire replacements to recently fired Ray Wright (strength and conditioning) and Jeff Ferguson (head medical trainer). The plan is that Peterson will oversee both departments as a bridge of sorts.

This follows reports from a few weeks back where the 49ers said they wanted to bring both the medical and strength staff together rather than have them as two separate departments in the building. John Lynch said in that the 49ers interviewed eight candidates and had two to follow-up with after the Super Bowl.

Peterson may be that guy. In Barrows’ article, he pointed to a YouTube presentation Peterson made on how to keep hockey players healthy and on the ice.

The 49ers have their director of sorts. Now it will be interesting to see who he puts in for each department and if they can stave the injury bug.

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