49ers announce the firings of Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly

SANTA CLARA

Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly are both out as general manager and head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, respectively. The team just sent out the following press release:

“The San Francisco 49ers announced that both Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly have been relieved of their duties. The organization has begun its search for the team’s next general manager and head coach.

49ers Chief Executive Officer Jed York will address the matter at 10:00 a.m. Monday morning in the Levi’s Stadium auditorium.

‘I have informed Trent and Chip of my decision to pursue new leadership for our football team,’ said York. ‘These types of conversations are never easy, especially when they involve people you respect personally and professionally.

‘Trent gave this organization every ounce of effort he had over the last 12 years and his contributions were integral to the team reaching three straight NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. I will forever be grateful for his dedication to the 49ers, and his friendship to me and my family. I wish Trent, Beth and their daughters the very best in whatever the future holds for their family.

‘Chip has my gratitude for the job he did this year, navigating the team through some adverse circumstances. I look forward to watching his career continue to unfold, and wish him and Jill great success in life.

‘Despite my feelings for Trent and Chip, I felt the decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary. The performance of this team has not lived up to my expectations or those of our fans, and that is truly disappointing. We all expected to see this team progress and develop as the season went on, but unfortunately that did not happen. That is why now is the time to find a new direction for this team.'”

Here is a statement from Baalke:

“I would like to thank Jed and the York family for the opportunity to work for one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. From day one, they have always given me the support and resources I needed. While we experienced our share of success over the years, I am disappointed at where we are today. I am grateful to, and have the utmost respect for, the players, coaches, football operations staff and everyone within the organization that I have had the pleasure of working with these last 12 years. To the 49ers Faithful, I truly appreciate your passion for this team and I am disappointed that I was not able to reward you with a championship.  This is a first class organization that deserves the very best.”

This article has 50 Comments

  1. “I felt the decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary.”

    So what are you waiting for, Jed?

    1. Grant can you please ask Jed why leadership needs to be replaced but not him? His leadership seems 2 be failing the most

  2. It doesn’t sound like Jed is stepping away from football duties. Talk to your Uncle Ed. Talk to Young and Jones. Get it right this time.

  3. Let’s make a prediction here, shall we?

    Until Jed hires a President of Football Operations and gets out of the way, I’m predicting that we will back again in this situation in 5 years unless he gets very, very, very lucky with a GM who can find a John McVay who can help keep Jed out of the locker room and other football domains.

    Jed does not understand football. He has no eye for coaching of GM talent. Neither he nor Marathe should not choosing the future GM. He should just write checks, count his profits and stay out of all things football. Period.

    1. Considering that in the last 10 years there have been 78 head coaches fired… Which is, roughly, 25% of the coaching pool each year. Yeah, whatever Nostradamus. The odds are 3 in 4 the next head coach will not make it past 5 years. A simple survey of the NFL will tell you that as at the end of this season, there are only 8 with more than 5 years experience with their current team:

      Bill Belichick — 16 years
      Marvin Lewis — 13 years Bengals are not extending him and he is on the hot-seat. 2017 is his make or break year.
      Mike McCarthy — 10 years
      Sean Payton — 10 years
      Mike Tomlin — 9 years
      John Harbaugh — 8 years.
      Jason Garrett — 6 years
      Pete Carroll .– 6 years

      8 coaches out of 32. That’s it. That’s how hard it is. And every other organization no matter how many ‘football executives’ they hire has the same problem.

      Because, despite what you believe, there are only a tiny number of true difference makers in the NFL. You’re lucky to see one as part of your team a few times in your life. Bill Walsh’s, Bill Belichick’s, etc. are rare, rare commodities.

      The rest…. They’re like the 8th best sprinter in the Olympics — faster than you by a long shot — but outclassed by the true greats.

  4. 1st class organizations don’t leak to the press decisions before communicating them to their employees.

    1. If they have a history of employees finding out they are fired by a two word announcement at a press conference (see Marc Trestman), then why not.

      BTW, that was from the era when the Niners were a 1st class organization, was it not?

  5. He may respect balke and chip but no one respects little Enos or big Enos! Still a problem with the Yorks involved! They see themselves as the ultimate solution, not the problem. So any guesses what happens next?

  6. It is unfortunate things did not work out. I think Trent seemed to lack the ability to identify talent in the draft and a little too hesitant to utilize free agency in some cases. I thought he would have learned his lesson on drafting recently injured players as a “bargain”. I mean…seven failures? C’mon! Kelly’s system just doesn’t seem like a good fit at the professional level.

    1. Baalke’s problems lie with FA and how he didn’t deal with roster churn as he over-focused on ‘draft and develop.’

      As for Team ACL, only Lattimore failed because of ACL. The other ones that failed, failed because they couldn’t handle it. However, since lowest positional expected bust rate of all Team ACL players was 38% (Carradine) and rapidly got into the mid-70%s (Lattimore & Smelter) with some even the 80%s (Reaser, Millard)…

      And that’s the brutal reality of the draft. Most of those players picked had a 50%, or far greater, chance of being a bust.

      And we can see that in our recent, pre-Baalke history Yeah, Thomas was a 3rd round failure. But so is Martin. And, as a 49er fan surely you haven’t forgotten Kwame Harris (Round 1), Justin Smiley (Round 2), David Baas (Round 2) and Adam Snyder (Round 3) all of whom were, at best, mediocre (to be kind) and were (ironically) outplayed by a pair of 7th rounders — Kyle Kosier and Eric Heitmann.

      And all those players were highly rated. None of them were over-drafted in any significant fashion. And yet the failed. The truth is, for all the whining and finger pointing, it’s not so easy and NFL draftees have a high bust rate.

      And there’s nothing there that says that pool of players, beyond Lattimore has failed because of the ACL. And, FWIW, Reaser, Smelter and Redmond haven’t. Reaser plays like a 5th round nickelback. Smelter looked good today on his one target & catch. Redmond is on IR.

  7. I can’t wait to hear how Teddy Football now will say that Trent never was right for the organization, and Trent put Jed in a really tough spot hiring Chip. Jed is such a Victim. Teddy the Brown Nosed reindeer…

  8. I would have to assume that it is 99% certain that an football admin will become President and then bring in a GM and head coach- I am happy w the changes and believe we will be competitive next season.

  9. You bet I would talk to Brent and Steve and see if they have any interest in running this team. Get Ronnie Lott on board too not because they were from the glory days but because they are SHARP. Harbaugh probably has no interest in coming back but … McDaniels? How much credit should he REALLY get for the Pate’s success! Can he “head coach”? Who knows. Intriguing though.

    1. God no! It’d be Matt Millen all over again. And, actually, Young has made some draft declarations in the past. Back in the late 90s the 49ers drafted Brandon Doman and a CB, forgot his name, when Young dabbled in scouting. They failed miserably.

  10. Kelly conducted himself with a lot more class than the 49er organization this year. Good luck to him wherever he lands.

      1. I think it’s Curly in charge: “I’m trying to think but nutin happens” Ne ne ne ne ne.

  11. The organization has begun its search for the team’s next general manager and head coach.

    I guess it’s safe to say Jed won’t be hiring a team president of football operations…

  12. ‘This is a first class organization, and deserves the very best’

    Sooo… When are you leaving, Jed?

  13. Once the half white privileged ignorant black mm panther is gone!Boom..a great day in the bay area it will be!

      1. Actually born and raised in San Jose and Hayward of Mexican descent..Just believe in hard work and not making excuses..don’t know nothing about alabama..you’re just a spoiled liberal puke who believes everything should be handed to you..like kap..kick Rock’s hippie

  14. We are officially at rock bottom. No GM, no coach, no QB, very limited talent pool across the board. Or is there something to addition by subtraction?

  15. Good riddance. While I recognize Chip was handicapped with the roster he inherited, I think it’s clear that his system only works at the NFL level under optimal circumstances. He’s far better suited as a college coach.

    As for Baalke, I’ll give him some respect as a evaluator of defensive talent. However, his ability to identify offensive talent is dreadful. He’s absolutely clueless when it comes to evaluating offensive players.

    It’s a new year, and I for one am happy to close the door on the dreadful year 2016 was for the 49ers and the country.

  16. Moe’s got the $$$ so he ain’t leaving. Just please get a competent GM and get a coach that runs NFL & not this college read option crap. It’s been figured out for years now and it’s time to joinn the rest of the league and throw the ball!! It’s not that hard since we damn near created it.

  17. Can someone please ask Jed why leadership needs to be replaced but not him? His leadership seems 2 be failing the most

    1. Because he only signs checks. And, actually, he doesn’t even do that. That’s the Controller’s job. Just like with Eddie before him.

      Seriously, you guys really don’t understand he does nothing but the odd hiring and firing and take flack from the fans and press. Just like Eddie before him.

      And when, like Eddie before him, he lucks into a good hire (thank you Bob Barr and Al Davis) you’ll all forgive him (just like Eddie) and send him off to Canton even though, just like Eddie, he didn’t do anything but sign checks (and not really even that).

      1. don’t forget, meets with coaches & GM weekly. plays favorites (unqualified Singletary’s promotion, unqualified Baalke’s promotion, Baalke over Harbaugh, Tomsula over Gase, hiring best bud Paraag). leaks information about the team to the media and sometimes throws people under the bus (every firing, Harbaugh lost the locker room, Kaep lost locker room, winning with class, etc).

        even on the business side, he affects the football side by picking the design of the worst home-field advantage stadium ever built and being $50 million under the cap.

  18. I am holding out hope that no decent GM will want to work under Jed, so he will be further humiliated until he gives up and hires back Chip with Gamble as the GM.

    1. Yes Seb, but only if they throw Jimmy T. into mix. You’ve been calling for Tomsula’s return too.

  19. Last day of the season is still going and there are already 7 known head coaching vacancies. Sunday bloody Sunday.

    1. On average it’s 7.8 per year. About 1/4th of all coaches are fired every year. Currently only 8 head coaches have more than 5 years with the same team.

      Of those 8, only Belichick is a Walsh-level genius coach. The others have had a good run because they’re working for strong GMs, but they’re not in his league.

  20. So this year I won’t be yelling WTF and ripping my 60″ off the wall at draft time when
    I hear… And with the 2nd pick of the NFL Draft… Dingle Mccorkenberry of NW Appalachian State… Dingle suffered a knee injury last year….

  21. Finally! The reign of Trent Baalke is over. Now, if only a competent GM can be hired. And if Jed is grounded by his parents from the 49ers forever.

  22. As long as the House of York reigns there will be no peace in 49er land. A regent might work but they show no digs of yielding power.

  23. Im glad and stoked that they did clean house, now i hope they also do this on our roster we need a full change at the QB position.

    My list who they should get as GM: Caserio,Wolf,Ballard or Pioli.

    For HC definitely a offensive mind but not a fake guy like Chipper: Kyle Shanahan, McDaniels or Mcvay.

    1. WIth those names we will get back a real NFL offense so a sort of Earhard Perkins or WCO.

  24. #49ers and #Jaguars have reached out to Josh McDaniels, per @AdamSchefter. SF also wants to talk to New England’s Nick Caserio

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