ESPN analyst and 49ers general-manager candidate Louis Riddick has opinions.

And he voices them.

Take, for example, what he’s said about coaching in the NFL.

“A lot of times some of these guys are getting coached by guys who don’t belong coaching Pop Warner football, let alone coaching NFL football,” Riddick said in April on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast. “Some coaching in the NFL is a flat-out joke. And some of it is deserving of what we all think it is in terms of the accolades we give them.”

Riddick said more, much more, on the topic.

And it’s quite relevant now that he’s a candidate for the 49ers’ GM opening, as ESPN reported Tuesday.

That is, any GM the 49ers hire will obviously seek a head coach who can assemble a first-rate staff. Duh, right? But will anyone feel as passionately about it as Riddick, whose strong views about the vast disparity in competence among NFL coaching staffs was initially informed by his six-year career as a defensive back.

In 1992, Riddick played for the Falcons. Head coach: Jerry Glanville. Defensive coordinator: Doug Shivley.

Winslow Townson/AP

In 1993, he played for the Browns: Head coach: Bill Belichick. Defensive coordinator: Nick Saban.

See the difference? Riddick did.

“That was like going from kindergarten to getting PhD-level coaching,” Riddick said in April. “…. And it still exists that way in the NFL.”

Riddick has been a vocal fan of Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who will interview with the 49ers on Saturday. McDaniels began his coaching career under Saban as a Michigan State graduate assistant in 1999. He’s since spent 13 of his 16 seasons in the NFL with Belichick, including the past five as his offensive coordinator.

On Dec. 12, during New England’s win over Baltimore, Riddick said, via Twitter: “Josh McDaniels gets it. Guy knows how to scheme around own weakness and attack vulnerabilities in opponent as well as anyone.”

Would the 49ers be interested in a Riddick-McDaniels pairing? Some dots certainly connect, although Jed York would need to be willing to bring in at least one forceful personality. Riddick, whose contract wasn’t renewed by the Eagles in 2013, said on the SI podcast he believes his candor is a big reason he’s been out of the league.

“I know there are plenty of people, there are plenty of teams, that wouldn’t hire me based on some of the things that I’ve said, or how strong my personality is,” Riddick said. “It’s one of the main reasons that I’m not in the NFL right now: Because I have a strong personality. I believe in what I believe in football. I’m very confident in what I believe … That’s the way of the world. You can’t please everybody and I don’t really care about pleasing everybody.”

In April, Riddick was speaking just before the draft. And his very interesting thoughts on NFL coaching were prompted by the subject of “draft busts.” He said many capable prospects fail in the NFL because of poor coaching.

Below is Riddick’s full response on the topic. It ends with comments on QBs Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, the latter of whom had a forgettable rookie season with a head coach, Jeff Fisher, who was fired in December:

“People in the NFL always think they have all the answers. It’s never them. It’s never their fault. They never did anything wrong. ‘Hell, if I’m coaching in the NFL, I must be one of the best in the world.’ Newsflash: They’re not. Not every team is built equally. Not every team has the most competent people. I can tell you this: In 1992, I played for the Atlanta Falcons. When I went from the Falcons to the Cleveland Browns in 1993, I realized just how different it is in the NFL from one coaching staff and one program from another. Because that was like going from kindergarten to getting PhD-level coaching. That’s what it was like. That’s how different it was. And it still exists that way in the NFL.

“So depending upon where certain guys go, they have no shot versus they have every shot in the world to reach their full potential. So when you see players bust, versus players who have success, a lot of times don’t just blame it on the player. Trust me. A lot of times some of these guys are getting coached by guys who don’t belong coaching Pop Warner football, let alone coaching NFL football. Some coaching in the NFL is a flat-out joke. And some of it is deserving of what we all think it is in terms of the accolades we give them.

“You get coached in New England, I promise you, you’re getting PhD-level coaching. You get coached in some of these other places? I couldn’t tell you what kind of coaching you’re getting. If Tom Brady doesn’t go to New England? If Ben Roethlisberger didn’t get drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and he gets drafted by some of the old coaching staffs with the Cincinnati Bengals? Ben Roethlisberger may not be in the league any more. Tom Brady may not be in the league any more …

“Carson Wentz? Jared Goff? I can tell you this: If they don’t make it, people will say ‘Well, Carson Wentz went to North Dakota State. You guys had him up there way too high. Jared Goff came from Cal, played in a spread offense, way overhyped.’ If those two kids don’t make it we better go with a fine-tooth comb through the organizations they went to, respectively, and start dissecting them. Because organizations ruin players, and ruin quarterbacks in particular, as much as players ruin themselves. I can promise you that.”

Twitter: @Eric_Branch