NFL head coach predictions

Now that the Browns have hired Hue Jackson and the Dolphins have hired Adam Gase, predict where the rest of the head-coaching candidates will go. My predictions are below. I have no clue who the Niners will end up with, but I predict they’ll take a long time to make their decision and end up with the leftovers.

Philadelphia Eagles: Tom Coughlin

Tennessee Titans: Mike Malarkey

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dirk Koetter

New  York Giants: Ben McAdoo

San Francisco 49ers: ???

This article has 356 Comments

  1. I’m sticking with my Chip Kelly theory for now. However the longer this draws out the likelier my Eric Mangini theory becomes.

    Either way we’re totally hosed.

    1. I Gotta Agree with you on chip Cfc. I think he makes sense for what this FO wants. Honestly if we’re not going with Shanny or holmgren than I’d say Chip is an ok hire. Seems to have a QB friendly system, for whoever is underror center, good run scheme as well. I think he’ll put together a solid offensive staff. Hopefully he learned a lot in Philly. But I acknowledge there is a very low floor with him.

      Coughlin would be what this team needs as far as credibility, and I know he’d put together a kick ass staff together on both sides, bit no way he comes here.

      And I think you’re crazy if you think Koetter chooses SF over TB.

      It’s Chip

      1. I’ve always thought Chip Kelly was the most intriguing higher. Higher risk than Hue Jackson or Mike Shanahan, but definitely more upside. I think he will have learned from the Philly experience. Look at Belichick after Cleveland. Did anybody think he would end up being a Hall of Fame coach after that experience? In fact, a lot of the same criticism leveled against Kelly echoes what was said about Belichick when he was sacked from Cleveland. And he apparently does have that relationship with Tom Gamble, so perhaps he could make it work.

    2. If anybody could help Kaep it may be Chip Kelly. The new coach has to work, because they aren’t going to pay three coaches at once Tomsula (2 more years), New Head Coach, and the next coach after this. I think this puts big time pressure on Balke to not F this up; which is a good thing. They have a lot of cap room which could help a quicker turnaround than people expect.

    3. If the 49ers hire Chip Kelly, I will need another year off…

      Best case scenario, I will need to at least be off the wagon for each and every game.

      1. Although he’ll apparently want to trade away all of the black players(j/k) he still will be 100x more competent then Tomsula. He only needs to be bad enough so that they still want to fire Baalke next year and then the new GM will be in a better position to hire a more competent coach.

        1. C4C

          Where in the hell do you get your information ? Chip Kelly has been coaching for 20+ years, and until a group of malcontents ( Murray and Sean Jackson) started bad mouthing him for breaking up their little ‘Clique’ he never had a racist mention before. If you really want to know what would make a coach skeptical of interviewing for a 49er coaching job…it’s crap like this flying around with no basis. Why do you think he traded them ?

            1. C4C

              Thanks rocket….I did miss the j/k in your last post and I sincerely apologize for it….You’re probably right Grime Time…that cape does slip up a notch or two occasionally …Man ! the codes are getting awfully jammed up these days……..

              1. If they want a coach that’s only good with a young roster let’s just bring back Mooch.

          1. That “group of malcontents” was the Philadelphia Eagles. Word is that he grated the nerves of almost everyone from the front office to the players – it wasn’t just Murray and Jackson.

            I don’t like Kelly as an NFL head coach. Maybe the Ducks will take him back..

    4. Yeah, my prediction was Jackson as 49ers first choice, but that he likely wouldn’t take the job and Kelly would be their fallback. I see no reason to change that prediction for now.

      1. From what I’ve read, the niners never made an offer to Hue Jackson,
        so if that’s true, it’s there fault they didn’t get him, some say it was because
        he wouldn’t have control the roster, but he isn’t getting control at the Browns
        either.

    5. It won’t be Chip Kelly, both Dorkey and Faulty are too fragile to handle him. It’s going be Shanahan.

    6. Seems to me,the 49ers want to move on from Kaep but Jackson,Kelly,and others apparently wants Kaep. Also,the Harbaugh situation is something for candidates to think about.

    7. Mangini or now maybe Mike Nolan as he stepped down from SD.

      Season is lost already. I feel like George on Seinfield that lost his Twix bar, twice!

  2. Philly: Doug Pederson

    NY: Doug Marrone

    Titans: Mike Mularkey

    Tampa Bay: Chip Kelly

    San Fran: Dirk Koetter

  3. Eagles: Coughlin
    Titans: Harold Goodwin
    Bucs: Koetter
    Giants: Sean McDermot
    49ers: Kelly

  4. Why would Hue Jackson want to go with the 49ers when they treated Jim Harbaugh like crap. They basically threw a guy out that has taken them to three playoffs and a Super-bowl. Granted, he was not the easiest coach to work with but we had three good years. The fans were hopeful and most where happy. I know I was definitely happy with our team. I can only hope for a good coach, not sure if Mr. Kelly is that coach.

  5. The 49ers keep Chipping away, so I don’t think he’s an option. McDaniels, Marrone, Shula have yet to interview. If I was York, I’d go all in on Gruden….

        1. Gruden won the Super Bowl with Tony Dungy’s team. Then he showed the door to Warren Sapp and John Lynch, two of his best players. He would have 7 quarterbacks in camp at one time, and couldn’t wait to unload Brad Johnson, who was the guy that won the Super Bowl for him. He is too much of an egomaniac, and would not be a good fit for Baalke, and he’s overrated as a coach.

    1. Good point Razoreater. What about the coaches not being talked about? Like you mentioned Shula, McDaniels, McDermott, Bevell. They all could be interviewed soon.

    2. I don’t get the love for Gruden. Other than taking a ready made team to a SB what exactly did he do? In 3 of the 6 years after that SB he had a losing record and didn’t develop a QB in any HC job he had.

      1. Man, that “ready made team” is the worst and laziest argument of all time. If you follow that logic then the other super bowl team on the field for that game (Raiders) was “ready made” by… you guessed it: Gruden.

        1. If you’re going to respond to the post then answer the question Mike:

          Other than winning the SB with a ready made team, what exactly did he do?

        2. Mike, Gruden coached that Raiders team and knew the players and playbook intimately. Too bad Davis did not throw out the playbook and start all over. TB knew what the Raiders were going to run and their terminology because Gruden devised those plays. I thought Davis was smarter than that, but he was filled with hubris and got gob smacked.

      2. I think it’ll turn out like this:

        Philly – McDermott

        Giants – Josh McDaniels

        Titans – Mularkey

        Bucs – Koetter

        49ers – Trent Baalke

        1. You’re way off Rocket… He’s been telling all the interviewees that he’ll only be a secondary coach/ quality control. Maybe they can groom him to take over at DC.

        2. If dad lands the coaching job I get a 2014 Explorer…an upgrade from the 2011 Altima!

        3. I really LIKE this choice! Put Trentie on the sidelines and let’s see him coach the team. Now THAT would be fun to follow!

      3. “No question, he’s a hell of a lot better coach than I am, and a lot smarter,” Vermeil said of Gruden. “I think he would be very successful. I hope he does come back, because I like him a lot.”

        Me too….

  6. It’s gonna be Mike Shanahan or Kelly..
    I rather it be Shanahan or Holmgren.but Jed and Trent haven’t interviewed him ..So I take it they’re not interested

    1. If Philly turns down Coughlin..he may be dark horse here..wouldn’t mind him either..Him bein a east coast guy.seems unlikely.

  7. Can you imagine how painful an interview with Baalke must be. Interviews aren’t always the most fun thing in the world but when you have to have Gort sitting there asking you questions it’s got to be tough to not want to excuse yourself to the bathroom and slip out the window.

  8. It’s going to be Shannahan as HC and Mangini as DC/Assistant HC. Conspiracy theories aside, Jackson was not an SF favorite. Too much drama dust. Same goes for Chip Kelly, an ego same size as Harbaugh. Jed’s talking to Eddie D, and he is reaching back to the Walsh coaching tree. Remember, Shannahan was the OC, last Eddie D Super Bowl. That’s the experience part. Last year, Baalke had Adam Gase only to have the rug pulled because of the coaching crush/obsession Jed had with Tomasula. Jed knows his mistake and won’t do it agin.

    1. Ha! If Jed was seriously talking to uncle Eddie.
      A…. Baalke would be gone
      B… Shanahan would have been hired on the spot.
      C… He would have had hair plants by now… Italians are serious about mousse and hair!
      D… The “leak” would have been whacked by now, and local police haven’t put out any missing reports.
      This guy talks to his runner ducky in the bathtub and he named it Uncle Eddie!
      Get real!

  9. Gruden makes about $5M at espn. Double that, Jed, and bring him here. He’s about the only one left that will make ALL Bay Area fans excited again…

    1. Grudges was terrible with young QB’s. He’s impatient and borderline verbally abusive. If he really wanted to coach, he would be. He can call himself a SB winning coach, do his FFCA routine and get paid close to the same amount for a 1/100th of the time commitment and zero criticism on television. He is one of the most overrated coaches of all time, in my opinion.

  10. Right off of Adam Schaftters Twitter feed:

    2m ago

    “According to my source, Baalke and York are currently meeting with Cal Jead coach Sonny Dykes. He is a dark horse candidate and the new favorite to become the next head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.”

      1. In fact I’m already hearing that the deal with Dykes is done and that they’re already talking to Goffs agent.

    1. I would prefer Mark Helfrich over Sonny Dykes. Sonny better demand full control over the roster, or he will get Tomsula’d.

          1. Dude,
            It’s comedy gold…some of the reactions are priceless. I occasionally tell my wife that I saw a $1000 pair of shoes that I know she loves on sale for $200 and the ten second window of reaction is absolutely hilarious.

              1. 49ergirl,
                I told her that Costco had Valentino Rockstud heels at a one day in store boutique for only $200. I told her that I tried calling her at work five times but she was unavailable, and that the boutique left Costco at 6:00pm, right when she is off from work. She was frantic for about fifteen minutes. She was trying to Google it and calling to find other Costco’s that will have the same event. She asked me to help and I was like, “Dude, they’re just shoes.” You could hear the afterburners whirling. She then came to her senses and realized that I would have bought them for her in a second if it were true. She still laughs about it though. It was all in fun. Emotional subject+sliver of possibility=gratuitous amounts of filling in the blanks from the person/people subjected to the joke. It’s my way of coping with the current state of the franchise.

              2. BigP…lucky is the wife who’s husband knows good shoes (and would pony up the $ to buy them for her) – now it makes sense why she let you live, lol!

                Great story!

                ;-)

        1. Right now you could post that the team was scheduling an interview with Lane Kiffin or Mike Martz BigP and we’d buy it because it just seems like something York and Baalke would do.

          1. I know, I know. It’s low hanging fruit, but apparently it still looks tasty! Humor is better than Yorbaalke reality.

    2. York to Coach Dykes, “Sonny, yesterday my life was filled with rain. Sonny, you smiled at me and then it eased my pain. Now the dark days are gone and bright days are here. My Sonny shown so sincere, Sonny once so true, I love you”….

      1. Daniel “Sonny” Dykes…

        Danny Boy… Oh, Danny boy, oh Jed and Trent are calling you
        From coach to coach and down the list they go
        The season’s toast and now they start anew
        It’s you, they beg you don’t be slow…

    3. I also heard if Dykes is hired he’s going to run a two QB attack with Goff and Kap. You’ll never know which one is going to throw the ball and sometimes they’ll throw it to each other.

      1. The double stick figure attack.

        *Nike introduces new 49er uniforms that have a grass print on them, camouflaging the players against the grass field. Opponents complain that it’s like trying to catch the Predator. The locker room chant goes from “Who’s got it better than us?” to “Get to the choppa!” Jed’s hair continues to recede.

      1. When it comes to the 49ers, the only person who’s words I believe less than Jed York’s is Tim Kawakami.

        1. Agree 49erGirl .. but..
          surprisingly, though .. lately ..
          I’ve found myself agreeing with
          some .. of the stuff he’s written

    1. “Also, I’ve been constantly reminded by NFL sources not to discount the 49ers’ continuing Colin Kaepernick Issue. I’m told that most or all of the candidates interviewed have asked Baalke and York about Kaepernick.”

      I’d love to hear their answer to that.

      1. Grimey ..

        I’d love to be the proverbial “fly-on-the-wall” ..
        if only to witness Jedsters face …
        everytime a coaching candidate declines
        their half-baked offers

        1. Evidently owners never offer unless the candidate indicates clearly that he or she will accept. It’s very important to the 32 billionaires that they are never shown clearly to have been rejected.

        2. Another conversation I’d like to be a fly on the wall during:

          Tom Coughlin asking Baalke why it didn’t work out with Harbaugh.

  11. Coughlin or Shanahan if they go with experience. I don’t see any of those men being around more than two or three years, but at least they’ve experienced significant successes in the past.

    Of course, as some of you have already mentioned, Mangini’s name hasn’t been floating around much in the media so it’s probably him. lol!

    1. Well …

      if the “brain-trust” keeps striking out …
      we should have ..(at the ready) ..
      a new nick-name for Baalke ….

      THIS .. would be my
      suggestion ..

    1. “Turns out the Niners didn’t need a really big ring — just an appropriately sized one. NFL Network’s Michael Silver, Jackson’s known confidant, reported Wednesday that his friend was interested in the 49ers job and that he might have taken it if only there had been an offer.” … From Above

    1. Mancini? The guy who wrote Moon River? First of all, he passed away a while ago. Otherwise I think he would work well with Baalke.

  12. Dianna Marie Russini
    ‏@diannaESPN
    Mike Shanahan strongly back in the mix with the 49ers. Looks like they are closing in on a decision per sources. #49ers

    1. Looks like they are closing in on a decision per sources. #49ers
      ———-
      If I had a $ for each time I’ve read that over the past 7 days or so I could buy the team and hire my own coach.

    2. The new coach will have checked off several boxes:
      He was available.
      He actually wanted the job.
      He’s willing to let Baalke have full control over the roster.
      He’s a yes man.
      He doesn’t mind being in the midst of a dumpster fire.

      1. They only had a phone “interview” – maybe he was their prime target after all and the conversation was just about how they were going through the motions for a week to keep up appearances.

        They do stupid $hit like that..you never know with this group.

    3. When this whole thing started, I posted that Shanahan was my best guess. I’m not taking a bow because nothing has happened yet of course and I could be dead wrong, besides which getting it right would have been sheer luck. That said, Shanahan makes even more sense now, IMO. The Niners have to stop their slide into the sh-tter, which this has become, unless they have an ace up the sleeve, which I cannot believe because that would be so illogical. Who good would want to come here? The day Baalke got on the field to coach the DBs settled it for me. Why Shanahan would be interested, though, is a baffler. But if somehow they hired him, he’d stop the slide. We’d get positive again, at least until he announced his coaching staff. Then we’d have the draft and the speculation about how Shanny would use this or that offensive player. It could get good psychologically for a while. Another good point about Shanahan is that Baalke would know his boundaries. Also, Shanahan could teach him a thing or two. But we’ll just have to see, as the saying goes.

        1. The best thing about Shanahan is that he will be able to tell Baalke to go back to juggling the salary cap, and will not tolerate any meddling with the roster.
          The more I think about it, the O line disaster has Baalke’s fingerprints all over it, just like the Hayne saga.

          1. Seb, unless Jed has woken up, I doubt Baalke would lose control over the roster, including the draft. Yes, Baalke owns the oline disaster. Can’t pin that on Betty in Accounting.

            1. They are coming begging. MS is holding all the cards. Do not think they will bluff him at all.
              MS and his dealings with RGIII made me sour on him, but at least he has the gravitas to command respect. Baalke will find him a lot harder to run roughshod over like they did with Tomsula.
              I like Mike, because he will be smart enough to value a SB quarterback over an unproven rookie. Kaep may thrive under his tutelage..

              1. I agree with the part about Baalke staying clear of Shanahan. About Kaepernick, though, I don’t. He’s maxed out above the neck.

              2. Walsh tabbed Steve Young to supplant Joe because he liked his mobility. Kaep would be utilized to his maximum abilities. They will not force him to be only a pocket passer.
                Besides, if Kaep is cut, he will go to the Rams who would jump for joy to get a QB that used to beat them regularly. Kaep with that Ram defense would haunt the Niners for years.

              3. I’m sure Young had a few more qualities than just mobility, which is about the only quality Steve and Kap share.

              4. Shanahan coached up Young so he won a SB. Bet he could do the same thing with Kaep, as long as he does not play him while injured.

        2. Does his son come with the deal? He could be the heir apparent in a few years, at least they could sell it that way.

      1. Ok, I think I figured out why he’s interested, and I should have seen this days ago. It’s his kid. The deal would be to elevate Kyle.

    4. Jason Cole ✔ @JasonColeBR
      #49ers source said team likes Mike Shanahan because of discipline, connection to Walsh Era. Would give organization great foundation.

      Is this the 49ers leak machine in action?

      1. Obviously the team is in full PR mode. This is really so embarrassing. And they think we are idiots so we’ll believe it. Jed is a f–king nightmare of an owner.

        1. Not only that, but I don’t see a Parcells guy like Baalke wanting a power source from the WCO telling him what kind of players are needed. He would also have a major zone blocking HC to boot. Our “new” right tackle or the “old” right tackle can’t zone block to the best of my fading memory.

          1. Nope…. Ht I said the same thing. The only lineman on that team I think could fit shanahan offense is staley. Going to be a tough first year for whoever the linemen are.

        2. That said……. Shanahan was at the top of my list last year, and this time around! If Montana & Young are lobbying for Mike, I’m wholeheartedly on board. Seems like a PERFECT fit to me!

        1. Exactly. Shanahan wins the job as he’s one of the very few candidates actually interested in the job.

          But of course the 49ers will claim he’s the guy they wanted all along, despite bypassing him last year.

        1. Six TD passes weren’t enough for Shanahan in the 1995 Superbowl. He wanted eight. Competitive? Willing to buck the owner? Take crap from the GM? Don’t think so.

  13. I seem to see rhetoric that suggests that the 49ers are failing at this hiring process. Do they forget that there were 7 head coaching vacancies and only ONE of them has been filled? We are one of 6 teams looking for a Head Coach still but yet we’re the only ones that are screwing this up apparently.

    1. 2 have been filled but your point is valid. Impatience tends to lead to panic for some. I’d rather see them look at every possibility including Coaches still in the playoffs if they feel they are candidates and have a realistic chance of hiring them.

  14. This FO is so image fractured and insecure it is now reaching diabolical levels. If they had Hue Jackson as their #1 option there is no way of knowing. It could just as well be that they wanted one of the bigger names in lesser demand and are just waiting for public perception to deem their choice is ultimately the right choice. Half-empty seats is the only thing on York’s mind right now.

  15. A good friend of mine — who I’m trying to get on this blog — suggested that Jed and Trent are waiting for Cassie to make the decision about Mike. Supposedly he’s been seen at the Minneapolis airport with a connecting ticket to Bemidji.

    1. Word on the street is Cassie will be the successor to Trent once Kyle is ready to take over… our future will be in good hands with the 2nd generation Duo at the helm.

      1. Sounds good to me. That Cassie has a lot of sass and will be able to relate to the players through social media.

        1. exactly…. what can be better than hiring a millennial to relate to the younger generations. Win win!

          1. I think Sandra Bullock had it down right when she explained things on the field in the Blind Side.

  16. I could see Goff doing well in Shanahan’s offense after a year or so of learning. I think Shanahan would be better than Jackson, Gase, Kelly or Coughlin. He might do very well without having as much involvement in personnel like he did in Denver and Washington. I never understood the love for many of the other candidates.

  17. Where have all the coaches gone…long time passing…where have all the coaches gone… long time ago…where have all the coaches gone…far from Jedster, every one…when will we ever learn…

    1. Cassie ..

      as Leo (above) referred to you as a “millennial”..
      I’m wondering if you knew how old that song is ..
      and why .. do
      you know it ?

      1. Millennial’s are so 90s.. The song? I love protest songs, songs of revolution! Soviet national anthem is kinda cool.

  18. I’m convinced Jackson was the wrong man for the job after he made the cardinal sin of using the word “comfortable” to describe how he felt after meeting with the Browns….

    1. Razor,
      Good point. I noted that remark. Wasn’t sure what to make of it. Nothing positive, tho’.

  19. Shanahan only success was with Elway as his QB,he doesn’t have that here. Kelley won without having a good QB.

    1. Actually he had Steve Young and complete control of the offense with the 49ers. The Elway he had when Denver won two Superbowls was pretty far on the wrong side of the hill, and it was Shanahan’s running game that he won with. Shanahan won with what ever running back he had available to him because of the system he used.

      I don’t know if Shanahan can get to that level again, but it will be a lot more interesting than the past two years have been.

    2. Actually, Shanahan had Elway for 5 years before Terrell Davis came on board and the running game won 2 SBs.

      1. Using Cutler and RG3 as examples is not the example of a good argument in Shanahan’s favor.

        1. Sure it is Mid. He won 10 games with RGIII as a rookie and put together a top ten offense both years he had RGIII. That is impressive. He only had Cutler for a couple of years so that was a work in progress. Keep in mind he also won and went to the playoffs with Brian Griese and Jake Plummer.

    3. I said the same thing about Payton wih Brees. RG3 was a superstar during his rookie campaign until his knew blew up. He healed up, the league caught up to him and he is terrible now. Everybody blamed Shanahan at the time when there were whispers that RG3 was actually to blame. Shanahan said RG3 wasn’t ready to be a pocket QB during his second year and he wasn’t. He still isn’t. Shanahan was right and RG3 is headed towards his second franchise. Steve Young said that Shanahan is your best friend if you put in the work he demands of you. Sounds like he has high standards. It’s about time somebody does in the organization.

      1. I slightly disagree about your perspective about the RGIII saga, but whole heartedly agree that MS will instill some discipline that is sorely lacking on this present squad.

      2. If I was RG3, I’d try to sign with the Saints. Like Young and Walsh, work with Sean Payton, back up Brees for a year or two and then be the next great Saints QB.

  20. Try this…

    GM – Englebert Humperdink
    HC – Barry White
    OC – Barry Manilow
    DC – MC Hammer (can’t touch this)

    1. Cute ..
      How about :

      GM-Popeye
      HC- Goldie Hawn
      (maybe her offense will feature “The Wildcat”)
      OC -The Riddler
      DC-Obi Wan Kenobi

    2. CEO – Bruce Dickinson
      GM – Biff Byford
      HC – Steve Harris
      OC – Adrian Smith
      DC – Nicko McBrain

    1. I’m guessing it masks drug testing or something? Maybe he’s already failed a couple of tests and he’s trying to avoid a third strike. I’m just connecting the dots because from what I understand they only get tested for recreational drugs once a year, in June or something, unless they have tested positive before. Many players smoke during the season. You just have to wait until the league does its testing and you’re good to go. It’s no secret. I don’t know why he would smoke synthetic marijuana when it’s known to have certain side effects with some people, as opposed to regular marijuana, unless there was a specific reason/benefit for it.

        1. They actually are illegal. The chemicals are constantly being tweaked via micro %’s and renamed to stay ahead of the constant bans that are handed down by the DEA, which I knew. It was outlawed in 2011 and it does in fact not show up during drug testing, which I didn’t know. I just researched it. I knew that had to be the case as far as the drug testing went. I’d bet he’s failed previous tests, otherwise he would just have his boys pick up some Jack Herer or Skywalker O.G. The chemicals are apparently sufficiently different on a molecular level that they don’t register as THC during testing.

  21. If Shanahan is named head coach, will he have any say in building the OL, receivers, or the next QB? Will he have total control of who is allowed onto his practice field to advise players, or who his coaches are?

            1. Just to be clear about this issue however(think this may have been posted before)-Shanahan and Bruce Arians are the same age,both of whom are six years younger than Coughlin. Given that the average duration of head coaching positions in the NFL runs somewhere around 3.5 years, age alone isn’t necessarily a deterrent with Shanahan. If hired it is possible he could hold his position longer than Jackson in Cleveland!

              1. Seeing as though AZ and Seattle are two of the better teams in the league and have HC’s around the same age as Shanahan, age certainly shouldn’t be a factor in the decision. You hire leadership and knowledge. It doesn’t matter how old the body is.

    1. He would have to, I would think ..

      which would mean… Baalke stays .. upstairs ..
      and not … on the practice field !

      1. *post above directed at htwaits .. but
        takes on a whole ‘bother meaning..
        if read as a response to Cassie

  22. Well… HT …
    I think … IF … Shanny is the next coach ..
    then, most likely … it’s by
    Unka Eddie’s .. orders !

    1. @JR…I hope Shanahan will get to bring in his own team of Coaches, and not have to be forced to hire on any Jimmy T left over Coaches!

  23. “I don’t sit in that room with a gavel and slam it down and say, ‘That’s what we’re doing,’ ” Baalke said on Jan. 4. “Every coach that’s been here has had a great opportunity to have input. Whether it’s the draft, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s impending trades, there’s no iron fist in this organization.” … Trent Baalke

    Who is this guy?

    1. Same guy who cut Hayne on the team bus and refused to elevate him even though he had a RB with a broken foot and 2 couch potatoes.

      1. Seb, Hayne is maybe 2 years away. He is project that is competing against guys who have played football their whole lives. Why do you keep beating this dead horse?

        1. Prime, if the Niners were vying for a playoff spot, I could see your reasoning. However, they were 5-11, so ANY player who could possibly help should have been utilized.
          I honestly believe that the coaches did not have a clue about how to maximize his skillsets. When they had the punt returner calling for fair catches while behind, I just shook my head.

  24. TomD
    Visited with a friend–huge Green Bay fan. I was told that Baalke gets into coaching staff matters crossing the imaginary Upper Management/Coaching barrier, WAY TOO MUCH!
    And fans, if you add Jed and his family into the mix it’s a coaches cocktail from hell.

    T. Kawakami:
    Let’s just jump right to it: The 49ers’ problem isn’t only that they lost out on Jackson (or actually that a couple nights ago they were stunned to understand the reality), it’s that they approached this situation with no idea what it’d take to get him and didn’t know they didn’t have it.

    Until it was too late.

    Something happened with Jackson either during the Sunday interview or immediately afterwards, and my best guess is had something to do with personnel power, which, apparently, Cleveland is willing to discuss with Jackson.

  25. Winning isn’t everything. Hue Jackson choosing Cleveland over SF is the only thing. Something like that.

  26. Re: your previous column Grant. I’ve been saying that for the past year. At the end of last season, no self respecting COORDINATORS would even come to this team, thus the hiring from within. My once and former 49er faithful … settle in for the next decade … we’re talking Raiders, Bengals, Bucs in their down years who went a decade losing ten games a season, or the current Browns. Grant was right, the 49er HC job is the worst in football … BY FAR. Now that that doesn’t mean there won’t be some willing candidates. There are only 32 of these jobs and they ALL PAY FREAKIN’ MILLIONS OF BUCKS!!! The Tomsulas are probably discussing whether they might want to get a villa on the Riviera for all I know.

    Probably the only coaches who will accept the 49er job are the ones who know they cannot get any OTHER job in the NFL. I’m still stunned that the team won’t even interview Holmgren. None of us will know why he wants to coach this team. Could be he’s just bored and wants the excitement of being back on the NFL sidelines or for all we know, the Holmgren family is having financial difficulties and even a two year contract would be a total of ten million bucks.

    As long as York and ESPECIALLY Baalke are running this team, it’s a sure loser and like last season, a snoozer as well. Gabbert the QB???? Geez, THAT’S an interesting team to follow!!! The BEST bet for 49er fans is to have a coach that will AT LEAST make things INTERESTING. NO ONE who coaches this team will actually WIN or contend. And we’re talking two years shelf life next coach max. With that in mind, Kelly, Holmgren or Shanahan will at least provide some interest. But until Baalke is gone …… *BEST move would be to hire Brent Jones to be President or at least VP/GM, but that ain’t gonna happen.

    Ha ha Did y’all read the “news” that the 49ers REALLY wanted Sean Payton?? Like he would be crazy enough to come here. Yeah, and I want to have a date with Jennifer Lawrence tonight.

  27. I wonder… Pete Carroll retires at the end of 2017, Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan and takes the HC job in Seattle. You will reap what you sow…

    1. I gotta admit Cassie I enjoy your posts here( but then I enjoyed some of the infamous Spitbloods entries as well :) ) keep em rolling!

  28. A team can do worse than hiring a losing coach. Nolan and Singletary were losing coaches, but they left their respective rosters (a little) better than it was the day they were made HC.

    Draft position had alot to do with it, but also because neither coach ran proprietary systems that required gutting talent the predecessor built up.

    (The following is not an endorsement of Tomsula)

    Tomsula inherited a gutted roster. He had nothing to do with the absence of Aldon, AD or Kilgore (or Hyde’s foot a few weeks into the season). Those were last minute pleasant surprises for the new coach

    The team stunk. A silver lining… some the new players were beginning to gel. Slowly, but at least heading in the right direction. As bad as much of the play was, they seemed to be learning their craft. (except Martin and Thomas)

    Who will be the 49ers next head coach? Someone disappointing. The best I can hope for is a coach that won’t gut the roster of some of its promising players to bring in “their guys.” That’s why I shy away from Kelly… and to a lesser degree Shanahan. They can break teams in the long term. I’d rather have a ho-hum placeholder coach, and soon before we bleed more (of the better) assistant coaches.

    1. Its mostly concerns abut Kelly.

      I have a friend that’s a very knowledgeable Denver fanatic. When Washington hired Shanahan and acquired RG3, I told him I thought it would be a great combo.

      Up to that point, I had always hoped Shanahan would some day coach the 49ers. I loved how he got running back production out of different backs, his zone blocking schemes, his offense in general and of course his ability to develop quarterbacks. Shanahan (and Holmgren) were at the top of my lists as favorite coaches.

      He proceeded to tell me how things have soured in Denver between Shanahan and other players. That he wasn’t the same guy that he was when he first started with Denver. And he said explicitly Shanahan would “ruin” RG3. This was before the season eve started,… the knee injury etc.

      His warning sticks in my mind. Been a big fan of Shanny since his time as 49er OC, but I have real reservations about how he handles quarterbacks in more recent years.

      1. I’ve heard that Shanny was against the RG3 trade and that he wouldn’t have drafted him. I also read that drafting Cousins later after RG3 was the compormise between the punk Snyder and Shanny.
        It’s possible that after all those years at Denver it was time for him to to move on, not unlike Coughlin at NY.

      2. Brodie,

        Some valid points but to play Devil’s advocate I would just say that many years in one place with one team tends to play out that way in the end. Shanny was there a long time and both he and the team needed to move on imo.

        As far as RGIII goes, Shanahan didn’t ruin him. He got criticized for letting Griffin continue to play in that playoff game but the story going in was that the knee wouldn’t be in any greater risk of injury and it was a pain issue more than anything. Griffin wanted to keep playing until he couldn’t play anymore. What doesn’t get mentioned is that he was playing at a pro bowl level in an offense designed for him by Mike and Kyle Shanahan. They got a lot out of RGIII both years they had him including year two when they had a top ten offense even though he was returning from knee surgery and wasn’t entirely healthy.

        One thing you always see with a Shanahan coached team is a strong and balanced offense that is usually in the top ten. Can you think of anything more this team needs than somebody who can accomplish that?

        1. If the Shanahan you describe is the one the 49ers hire… that developed Steve Young, gave Elway a platform for super bowl victories, established a killer zone blocking system that succeeded with multiple running backs… I’ll take him.

  29. Dan Graziano
    ‏@DanGrazianoESPN
    Source: “Looking good” for McAdoo to be next Giants head coach.

    ProFootballTalk
    ‏@ProFootballTalk
    Source: Dirk Koetter is telling assistant coaches in Tampa he has the head coaching job.

          1. I’m thinking they will wait 2-3 years, draft Keller Chryst, then fire Geep Chryst the next day just for laughs.

        1. In an organization like the NYG it’s no surprise that they had their next guy working for them before they pushed the 70 year old (August, 2016) gently out the door. It looks like Jackson figured that out and took his best current option. Meanwhile The Jed-Trent play games.

    1. Bob Quinn, the GM of the lions, may lure Josh McDaniels to Detroit. Mularky may provide continuity at Tennessee. Eagles would be smart to snag Coughlin. With McAdoo at NY and Koetter at TB, the only team with no HC will be the Niners.

          1. Seahawk fans were furious at him akin to Niner fans with Roman/Chryst.
            Then RW started throwing a lot of TDs, and they were mollified.
            Do not know if he can coach up the defense.

  30. Yes Tim I’m interested:

    Tim Kawakami ✔ @timkawakami
    Might be of some interest: I hear Eddie DeBartolo Jr. is a proponent of Mike Shanahan for the 49ers job. I hear Trent Baalke is not.

    1. Jed, for heavens sake, please listen to your uncle. If you ignore his advice, you will never succeed.

    2. Seems like a full-blown ideological Walsh-Parcell battle brewing? Read somewhere that Montana and Young are also pushing for Shanny. Brent Jones openly voted for Shanahan or Holmgren on KNBR.

      Time for York to give Baalke that hug?

      1. After Jed’s press conference I posted that the only way that Jed would curtail or dump Baalke would be if he finally came to understand why no coach with options would come to work for the two of them. Still feels like a remote possibility, but it would make the future look more enjoyable.

    3. Why are we hearing a guy is a lead candidate when the person who is supposed to be leading the process apparently doesn’t like him?

      Such BS from TK. Makes that statement but where’s the follow up to explain the contradiction?

      1. That’s what he does. I have a feeling of Grant had that kind of access, he’d do the same.

      2. He’s posted follow ups but I don’t need to post every Kawakami tweet do I?(Rhetorical)

        Tim Kawakami ✔ @timkawakami
        Oops, meant to type I’m NOT saying Eddie is actively pushing Shanahan. It’s just known that Eddie thinks he’s good.

      3. Do you actually believe that Jed and John are hands off in this head coaching search? What I find hard to believe is that John and Denise would let Eddie influence their son Jed.

    1. Koetter being promoted was the obvious move for TB and made a lot more sense than coming to the Niners! Not sure he was ever really a viable option for SF.

      Jed better tell Trent to suck it up and hire Mike S. He’s the right man for the job! It’s a perfect fit!

        1. Tom Herman. He’s a good coach. His wife Michelle is pretty and smart, and can beat you on Twitter battles.

  31. Shanahan being hired would be half of my dream hire. Bring old friend holmgren on with you and I’m ALL IN!

  32. If they hire Shanny I can’t wait to hear them try to explain why they didn’t just do it last year. He’s the best candidate this year but last year he wasn’t better then the guy you fired after one season.

    I like where this is going.

  33. I think McDermott and Goodwin are two coaches that a couple teams might be waiting to speak to.

  34. Hue Jackson’s not the 49ers head coach because…

    1) The 49ers never offered him the job. Something at the last minute scared them off.

    2) The 49ers never offered him the job. Another candidate surprisingly killed the interview, making Jackson the #2 choice.

    3) The 49ers never offered him the job. They knew Jackson would refuse it, and that would be too embarrassing.

    4) Little Jed was over confident, and didn’t pursue Jackson hard enough. He was too busy pretending to be a relevant, influential team owner in Houston.

    5) Jackson wants to coach Goff, not a pair of coach killers in San Francisco.

    6) The Browns offered him a little more money, a lot more personnel control, in a far cheaper cost of living location, in a franchise where the bar was set so low he would have three years to get the team going.

    1. There’s only one coach killer in San Francisco. There’s a glimmer of hope for Gabbert.

  35. Rotoworld:

    The San Francisco Chronicle (Ann Killion) reports 49ers GM Trent Baalke is intent on hiring a head coach who won’t threaten his power. Clinging tightly to “final say” on whom the 49ers hire, Baalke reportedly “doesn’t want anyone who might threaten (his) power.” It’s no wonder, then, that Baalke’s gargantuan ego caused the 49ers to miss on Hue Jackson, one offseason after it cost the team Jim Harbaugh, and forced San Francisco to settle for predictable one-year flop Jim Tomsula. Reported 49ers HC candidate Mike Shanahan has won countless power battles throughout his coaching career. We can’t imagine he’d mesh well with increasingly-paranoid power monger Baalke.

    1. “…reports 49ers GM Trent Baalke is intent on hiring a head coach who won’t threaten his power….”

      and that is the hitch in the giddyup… George

    2. Again, if Jed ever understands that then he might actually ask Eddie for meaningful input about how to organize his football operation. At the moment the football operation most resembles his father Johns management of the bottled water.

        1. Water? Good thing his Gatorade scheme didn’t make it too the field. John wanted to stop all the wasteful missed squirting…

    3. With Baalke’s record in the draft and free agency, he should be nervous. Baalke wants to have the power, but he has not earned it. He took a squad that McClouhan built, and did wekk,but his picks have been less than mediocre. 4 pro bowlers in 50 picks is pathetic.

  36. You only have to impress York and Trent has to follow. I predict shanahan hc and kapernick is traded. He’s brain dead and I think this is what the front office wants to hear. Then they pick up new qb of the future.

    1. But they will look even more stupid if Kaep resurrects his career and goes back to the playoffs on another team.

  37. I think the HC searching is taking longer than anticipated because the FO wants to force feed the assistant coaching staff to the HC.
    If Shanahan is the choice, I suspect Chip Kelly will immediately be hired as the OC. That won’t be Shanahan’s choice to make.

  38. Shanahan makes sense. Desperate for a job, has won Super Bowls. With Jed’s insistence on the coach already having won Super Bowls, only Coughlin, Shanahan, and Holmgren would work. Coughlin would take the least power. Shanahan is an “offensive genius.” Holmgren loves power. Baalke and York kill his name.

    So, look for the one who accepts the lowest salary (to ease Jed’s concerns) and least amount of power (to ease Trent’s concerns) to take the job. And watch them fail.

    And Gruden to take the job? He makes $6.5 million per year for 1 month of “work” talking on ESPN. How much would the Yorks give him? Tomsula money ($15 million per year)?

  39. I have a problem with the Chip Kelly / Colin Kaepernick combo.
    I agree Chip could help him
    I agree that Kaep has the physical tools to play for Chip.
    But how many wasted time outs, DelayOf Game penalties and missed reads have we seen from Kaep in a normal speed offense.
    Mentally I don’t think he is up to playing this system
    Could be fun finding out though…….

    1. Kaep ran the pistol in college. That required split second decisions and multiple reads.
      Niners think the RO is dead, and never let Kaep or Gabbert run it. Yet, Russel Wilson ran it many times in the playoffs and all last season, and they are in the second round of the playoffs. Niner coaches were clueless and forced Kaep to be only a pocket passer, when he is 10 times more dangerous on the run.
      Chip would know how to accentuate Kaep’s skillsets. Kaep would be the perfect QB for Chip’s system. Too bad Baalke will never let it happen because he is a control freak that relies on analytics.

      1. Multiple reads? Kaep wasn’t playing in the Pac12. He made reads, yes, but rarely had to get past the first option–once in a while two.

        1. I watched his games. He scrambled often and found the open man lots of times.It was his third or 4th option usually. Declarative blanket statements do not hold water if they are countered by the facts during games.
          In the pistol. the handoff to the RB is the first option. The quick pass is the second option. The further downfield route is the third option. When Kaep scrambled, he was buying time to allow a receiver to get open, so that is his 4th option. If everyone is still covered, he would take off for his 5th option to run the ball.
          Sounds like he was not a one read QB to me.

      2. I’d like to get JPN’s take on this as he probably knows the most about Kap during his time at Nevada. I don’t think there were many progression reads in the passing game, but he’ll likely know better than I.

  40. So Bill Parcells is the only credibility Trent had. Seriously, is that it? That’s what we cling to as how he will figure this out? I wish his God was Madden.

    1. He’s the young OC that made major improvements in Manning’s game the past two years with the NYG.

  41. I’m In the best nfl coordinator, on remaining playoff teams. I am willing to wait until after super bowl if needed.

    The deal makers are ; Deep Rolodex ability to build dynamic staff; Charismatic, confident, secure enough to let his coordinators do their jobs.

    Deal Breakers are; more arrogant than confident, Cannot get 100% buy in from players, fails to adjust schemes to current roster.

    From the Pats: Matt Paricia:D.C/ Josh Mc Daniels O.C
    From the Sea Hawks: Darrell Bevel O.C. / Tom Cable asst. H.C
    From the Panthers: Sean McDermott D.C Mike Shula O.C.
    From The Chiefs: Doug Peterson O.C
    Wild cards: Jim Schwartz, Lions X H.C.

    I would also interview additional coordinators ; that appear on our radar with agents approaching us.

    I would place gigantic “weight” on how prepared they were for our interview; did they know our roster, have opinions on our players; a “rough draft” 1-3-5 year plan, just an outline.

    Will they inspire ” toughness & professionalism” as the face of the 49ers.

    Real world “eyeball” test: Mike Tomlin Vs Jim Tomsula….
    In a nut shell: Toughness “AND” X & O’S braininess.

    1. I’d like to interview Tom Cable for the Head Coaching position. Players seem to want to play hard for him….

      1. Hope he can get past his ‘domestic dispute’ episode when he was with the Raiders.

      2. Razor

        Didn’t they say they would play hard for Tomsula? I wouldn’t trust what the players say.

  42. The race to the bottom continues. It doesn’t matter who the Niners hire, that coach is Tomsula 2. There is no reason to expect more from these clowns.

    The fact is that the Niners stand to have the worst coach and staff in the NFC West, again.

    1. I think the Rams hold that dubious honor. I don’t think you could do much worse than Fisher and Snead combo that churns out just enough mediocracy to continue to hold a job without improvement.
      At least SF has consistently fired a scapegoat each season.

    2. Chess GM,

      There is no Tomsula 2. He is one of a kind, and none of the names mentioned are position Coaches with no HC experience. How good the HC and staff will be remains to be seen. If they hire Shanahan, we stand to have a pretty good Coaching staff.

    1. Sparano successfully got Vance McDonald to actually catch a pass. That has to count for something.

      Yes… VMac did clang two perfectly thrown passes into the air… and into DBs hands… in the same game… which might be a record for clang pics in a single game… But he caught a pass gol dang it. Sparano’s a miracle worker.

    2. Pendergast to USC, and Foerster to Miami as O line coach. Now if only Chryst can depart, I might have a little more confidence that the coaching will improve.

  43. Ian Rapoport – 49ers interviewed former Mike Shanahan on Tuesday, source said. Interest has ramped up considerably.

    Apologies if this is old news.

    1. Ian Rapoport Eagles talks with Tom Coughlin have intensified, as well. This could all go down very quickly. He seems to have wrapped his head around it

      1. Not surprising. Coughlin is an east coast guy and would be leaving a lot of grandkids behind to make a move to Cali. I don’t think it’s a move he’d truly consider at his age. Good move by Philly if they hire him.

        1. I think Eagles will go slow,and look hard at the SB OC/DC winner. Coughlin may be the safe fallback option, but he is not in a position of strength with the poor play and mediocre results from his former team. His age will also be counted against him.

    2. B2W,
      It’s becoming more apparent that Mike Shanahan will be at the helm.
      I was looking for Chip to take over but it seems like the fall-out in Philly may have hurt his chances at least for now.

      For Kelly to redeem himself in NFL circles he may need to take a lesser approach like becoming an Off.Cord.
      My dream scenario would be:
      Mike Shanahan – Headcoach
      Chip Kelly – Offensive Coordinator

        1. If Kelly’s the great offensive mind many say, it would do his resume wonders to be a successful OC in another scheme.

      1. Not bad, AES …

        Agree, that Kelly should rebuild his creds..
        with an OC gig, before attempting another HC
        position.. but I wonder if the two
        massive egos could live together ?

  44. So. The Niners have been kicked in the teeth by the coaching establishment, AGAIN.
    Denise does not get it. John York poisoned the well, and Jed is wallowing in the sty.
    She should end the nightmare and reach out to her brother. Eddie would right the ship. Right now, the rats are scurrying away to new jobs.
    The only way the Niners will return to the Glory Days is if both John and Jed take a step back and allow football savvy individuals to run the team. Eddie, with his 5 rings, is the perfect person to do it. As long as Jed is the CEO, expect more chicken wings to be flung at him and fans hurling epithets at him. The York family will be humiliated further by banners being towed buy planes over their stadium.
    Eddie may not be allowed to assume the lead position, but his daughter would allow the Niners to be kept in the family, and Eddie would pour his time and resources into the venture so she would be amply supported. It would also be a bold move to put a woman in a bastion of male dominance. She may not have broken through the glass ceiling, but she would shake the foundation to its roots.

    1. Seb…

      Unka Eddie has already said, he has no interest
      in coming back … apparently .. he’s content to just
      being a Grampa ..
      (I can relate to that)

  45. Passing by here and would love to comment, to debunk and correct and perhaps make a fool of myself, but instead, I thought it best to simply recommend a marvelous discussion on Better Rivals. A deeply thoughtful, evidence-based conversation, not blinded by rancor or narcissism: Their points are so convincing that I am afraid I would simply parrot them and be tempted to call them my own. Please give a listen and rethink a bit (spoiler–they adore Kelly).

    http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/better-rivals-podcast/e/42068241?autoplay=true

    1. I’ve been following their podcasts through the last draft up until last night.

      If you have the time, give last weeks podcast a listen before yesterday’s. You can access both though Niners Nation.

      They not only list their favorites, but give breakdowns on the kinds of backgrounds that lead to winning HC hires.

      – Position coaches and/or promoted from within bad.
      – First time HCs so-so.
      – Second time HCs that had stints at coordinator positions – Best. They were pining for Jackson and Payton.

  46. Just came across them and didn’t know of their earlier podcast. I will listen to them as well. Thanks.

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