Report: 49ers settle for Geep

After getting turned down by Kyle Shanahan, Adam Gase, Lane Kiffin, Rob Chudzinski, someone named Bob Bicknell, and maybe others, the 49ers turned to Geep Chryst to be the offensive coordinator, according to a report.

Chryst was the 49ers’ quarterbacks coach the past four seasons. Under Chryst’s tutelage, Colin Kaepernick earned no trips to the Pro Bowl and his passer rating decreased from 98.3 in 2012 to 91.6 in 2013 to 86.4 in 2014.

Chryst also drew up the plays for the 49ers’ robust red-zone offense, which ranked 30th in 2011, 15th in 2012, 15th in 2013 and 29th in 2014.

Chryst was an NFL offensive coordinator for two seasons 15 years ago, so he has experience.

Home run hire.

This article has 567 Comments

    1. Is it time to go Bill Paxton…aka Cpl Hicks and start yelling, “Game over man! Game over!”?

      This is a total and complete collapse…will be an interesting season to watch from that view point…back to the dark ages…

  1. I tried to get excited about Jimmy Raye. I just can’t get excited about this hire. I sad for my niners.

    1. We’ve got a grind and pound GM/Coaching staff, and a QB coach who thinks the way to beat Seattle is to turn the game plan up side down. At least he likes the idea of playing against your own tendency.

    1. They don’t bother. You got your spin at the Tomsula introduction press conference. I expect them to send Jim out to introduce “his” new staff — period.

  2. When everyone you asked to help has turned their back, the only choice left is to turn to Chryst….

  3. Who picked Logan for QB coach? I’d say Jim Tomsula.

    Who picked Chryst for OC? I’d say Baalke before “the search.”

    Who picked Tomsula for head coach? I’d say Baalke/Jed last February.

    Who’s head is on the block? Well it’s not Jed, that’s for sure.

    It a great play if you have a program to follow the action.

    1. Ok. We get it.
      You can stop that it’s a play/get the program joke already. 20 times is enough.

    2. I understand that Trent Baalke waved a sealed envelop in the air prior to all their announcements for Coach, OC, and DC proclaiming that they got the guy they wanted all along.

  4. “Why not? Why not? Ok, why? Why not? Let’s go. Let’s do it. Take the step. Let’s go. All in, OK? But don’t be afraid to step in. Get up and look, step in. Jump in. Let’s go. All in. ”

    Tomsulan wisdom, circa 2015.

      1. They may surprise us, but admittedly, on paper, this is one of the worst coaching staffs ever put together.

  5. Well chud kiffin bucknell all returned to their teams so that is totally understandable why change if you don’t have too particularly family reasons.

    Chryst is more familiar with 49ers offensive players than anybody else in the league. Don’t know why you are all complaining and mocking the hire?

    1. Not knowing makes it hard for anyone to explain if you’ve been around for the past four years.

    2. Because the other guys who were familiar with the team are now gone. They had a winning formula. And more experience. So you basically get rid of the boss and higher ups for lower tier coaches to run the same offense?? With familiarity???
      For “differences?” Ok!
      Let’s see how well nfl Europe and a qb coach who’s qb sucked last year run this offense. Better resign Gore an have ck run for his life. That’s the only offense that’s worked for the last 3 years. Yep that Familiar face will make it all better. Smh

      1. There’s going to be a big change next season the way the 49ers are going adopt to losing many games and trying to stay away from the bottom of the west division..

    3. But that is the problem…with this kind of a “changing of the guard” you don’t keep the old system going when the guys that created it left…problem is the crew that has been hired lack an elite vision/ability of their own. How in the world will this hodgepodge crew do better than…if the old was so bad shouldn’t there be an entirely new system and process??? No this is all being done to keep CK limping along…a QB chosen by the guy that was asked to leave…

    4. Because they had a dominant defense and an incompetent offense and to turn things around they fired everyone on the defensive side and promoted from within the same incompetent offense.They went from a legit “Superbowl or bust” team to a “lucky to go 7-9” in a matter of 4 weeks and orchestrated their own demise for no apparent reason other than they didnt like the attitude of their wildly successful coach

  6. Welp, it’s safe to say that our coaching staff has downgraded quite a bit from Harbaugh/Roman/Fangio to Tomsula/Mangini/Chryst?

    Amazing that all 3 top coaches were promoted from within. Maybe that’s the continuity they were looking for?

    On a positive note, the learning curve will be a lot less if Chryst keeps the same terminology as Roman. Perhaps they keep the same system, but tweak it here and there.

  7. I’ll give my usual measured disclaimer by saying not a single one of us has any idea what kind of playcaller Chryst is. His previous OC experience was too long ago to be a reliable predictor of what he’ll do now. And on the plus side, he knows Kaep’s abilities as well as anyone, so perhaps the offense won’t be purely ground-and-pound.

    BUT … it’s awfully disturbing that so many candidates didn’t take the job. My guess is the more experienced candidates didn’t want to have a scheme imposed on them by Baalke, or be limited by this “we will run the ball” pseudo-philosophy as articulated (yes, I used that word in connection with Tomsula) by the powers that be. None of us can know how this will shake out but right now, it sure looks bad. Really bad.

    1. I don’t know if I’ll wake up in the morning, but I do make plans for what I think will happen. And if I think something undesirable will happen tomorrow I might even complain a bit about it.

  8. Don’t know of Chryst is another “Dag Gum”, but the hiring process was straight out of the Dag Gum school of franchise management.

    The “he’s the one we targeted all along” lies will be more amusing then the deflate press conferences.

    1. That fact that Chryst could have been the chosen one when they brought him back is what’s freighting about the way the Yorks run things.

  9. Welp. Here we go. This group is so rag tag. There is no excitement. There should be no announcements. Just get to work.

  10. Trent says, “Geep has been our guy all long. He’s the only guy we made an offer to,” failing to mention the swings-and-misses and candidates who flat-out refused to even talk to the team.

  11. So the answer to a Superbowl winning staff was currently already on staff just in the wrong positions? Makes sense.

  12. Would have thought it impossible for the 49ers to hire an OC that I would feel less confident in than Roman. Man this team is just full of surprises.

  13. Most coaches would be insulted they were a teams last resort. Good thing Chryst is forgiving….

    1. Razor,

      That’s true, except in the case of coaches without any options (by options I’m referring to OC options, in Chryst’s case). He doesn’t have the luxury of holding grudges.

  14. Well Jed, this team better win at least 12 games or else the fans will be clear that Harbaugh was brought in to get the Stadium built and that is it, and the York family now wants to cut cost and is focus on making money and not having a great team.

    If you lose Gore, Crabtree and Smith it will be clear you are money balling this team.

    So this is a big year for the team. The fans expect at least a good run in the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen you can watch your fan base drop and see a half filled stadium.
    Hope you know what you are doing.

  15. After getting turned down by Kyle Shanahan, Adam Gase, Lane Kiffin, Rob Chudzinski, someone named Bob Bicknell, and maybe others
    ————————–
    Do you know for fact that the team offered all of those guys the position?

      1. Yes, that would be my guess.
        They hired the OL coaches first, retained Rathman and Curry, and then added the QB coach.
        Most OCs prefer to assemble their own staff.

        1. All that would be true if they were following a rational plan. The entire thing was not rational, so why would anyone expect any kind of rational process to be followed to an unreasonable ends.

    1. Of course not, if grant included facts and research in his write-up then it might resemble actual journalism

  16. hey grant its kinda like settling to read one of your articles,not a maiocco, barrows, branch, or even a kawakami but one of your articles,, its called settling and its a last result.

  17. Every time I try and wrap my head around how this staff is going to out scheme the likes of Carroll, Arians and Fischer, it explodes….

    1. From the mouth of our new quarterback’s coach Steve Logan… “A cow without t*ts is not a good cow.”

      At first, people weren’t sure if he was OC and Chryst was remaining QBC. Says alot.

  18. It seems that there is little doubt much will change. The offense under Chryst will be similar to the Roman offense circa 2011 through 2013.

    1. Yep, same offense, we’ll just have to wait and see how Chryst goes as a play caller to see if he’s any better at that than Roman. Not holding my breath.

      Likely a pretty similar defense too, though maybe with some more blitzing.

      49ers have ordered a Harbaugh Lite from the coaches menu…

      1. Don’t be so sure about the defense. Mangini runs a more complex 3-4 scheme than Fangio did, so the defense may struggle to adjust to it.

      2. According to inside sources, this Harbaugh Lite menu is a hit.
        Jed likes it because it is not too spicy.
        Trent came up with the recipe so, he is a fan.
        Two thumbs up from Paraag because the price is right.

        We know that Tomsula has vouched for the boys downstairs.
        Time to climb aboard the Baamsula wagon.

    1. Do you want to compare the 2014 coaching salary expense to the new 2015 costs?

      I don’t know for sure, but people seemed to know what Fangio was making so my guess is that it can be figured out.

  19. Would someone kindly inform me why Chryst is a bad hire? Present some facts, tell me why this guy sucks. Facts please.

    1. His offense was terrible at the Chargers. Was it all because the personnel was rubbish, or does he deserve at least some of the blame too? Hard to know.

      1. I agree his offense was terrible, the roster was terrible. This is a very talented team. I imagine the playbook will be the same, its going to be on the play caller at which was everyone’s beef main beef. The playbook is fine the talent is still very good. I think everyone will be surprised how well this all works out.

        1. Can you reverse your request and tell us the facts that support an optimistic outlook for the 2015 offense compared to 2011-2013?

    2. I think one of the issues is that Chryst hasn’t been an OC since 2000 or 2001. I don’t think he will be worse than Roman. Also, they should be able to get the plays in a lot quicker now since they probably won’t have to go through the HC.

      Having said that, about 6 or so weeks ago after we lost to Oakland I think it was, I said on this blog that I wanted to see Chryst call a game instead of Roman. You know what they say, be careful what you wish for.

      1. I agree about getting the plays in faster, but what if Jim wants to be in the loop? What would happen if he even wanted to say something?

  20. I think we’ve witnessed what happens when the team owner fires one of the most successful and respected coaches in the league, and then says stupid s**t like “Our standard is to win the super bowl every year.” And “whoever comes has to understand that winning the super bowl is expectation.”

    All that really says is “I have no idea what I’m doing, I’m more than willing to fire anyone who we hire for the failures of my own incompetence.”

  21. Was anybody super impressed with Harbaughs staff when he was hired as coach? I am a skeptic also, but will give these guys 1 year to prove their mettle.

    1. I was impressed. I’ve said since 2011 Harbaugh’s biggest asset is attracting coaching talent.

      1. Oh, we are impressed how incompetent the Jed the owner of the 49ers team. He’s very successful in turning his team from a well respected in to a mediocre team next season.

    2. A lot of professionals thought it was a good hire and that Jim Harbaugh brought in a very good staff. That’s what good coaches in the NFL do. They are strong enough to be unintimidated by the talent of the staff they can attract.They want people with strong ideas about what they are doing.

    3. Looks like I am the only one who is okay with the new staff so far. I am already getting stoked for next year.

      You all are forgetting the business part of football – ownership. They know as I do changing head coaches for the most part eliminates them from the Super Bowl. I have said many time the Yorks are looking at next years Super Bowl. By hiring the staff they did they minimize the impact of a new staff. Should increase the chances of the Niners making the playoffs.

      Come on guys now that the staff has for the most part been established now you can yak about the draft and FA’s. Its not the end of the world and the sky is not falling.

      1. You’re not the only on UC. I think they’ve put together a staff that is quite diverse. While the names aren’t exciting they are solid football men.

        Some bring up 2009, but this has a different feeling to me.

        1. I believe this is a superior coaching staff to the one Singletary assembled. It most certainly is not anything flashy, but that is fine – the 49ers didn’t want or need flashy.

          The main concern right now is it appears the 49ers were unable to get the coordinators they wanted. Especially OC. While the fall back options may well turn out to be fine options, its never ideal to be settling for alternatives.

          The second concern is regarding how this coaching staff provides anything much different to what they were already doing. If they go back to playing football the way they did from 2011 to 2013, that’s not a bad thing at all. But what about in terms of coaching Kaepernick and getting the best out of him? Have they really improved in that regard? Hard to say. I don’t really know enough about Steve Logan to say for sure.

            1. The statement, “I’ll take mobility over accuracy” seems to fly in the face of Walsh. Somewhat concerning from a developmental point of view….

          1. Scooter – I think the FO got exactly who they wanted. I think the search was a masquerade to provide us with due diligence. I thought it was odd to hire Mangini to work on the offensive side of the ball. This was a predetermined change of staff. I don’t like how it was done. However ff you really think about the staff, its not too shabby. Now draft and FA talk can begin. This team is still very talented.

              1. htwaits – Without the hiring of Chryst I would not of given the Niners much chance of reaching the playoffs let alone the SB. Only one new HC made the playoffs this past year – Jim Caldwell, Lions. The Chryst hiring brings continuity to the Offense. I believe that is important for one main reason – CK. CK has unbelievable physical tools but his football brain seems somewhat slow, I just cant see CK learning a new offense and at the same time focus on his mental football shortcomings.

                To answer your question I believe they now have a reasonable chance to make the playoffs which in turn gives them a chance at the SB.

              2. Undercenter you seem to basing your confidence on the 49ers using Jim Harbaugh’s playbook. It’s possible. How likely it is remains to be seen. So far I see it as a long shot. They do come in occasionally. I could live with that. :-}

              3. Under
                While keeping Chryst certainly maintains continuity on O, few here will argue that aside from injuries our O was the reason we backslid from previous years and the continuity was much better served on D with a fresh start on O. Look at it this way, How likely is it that the answers to our problems were in the building all along just in the wrong positions?

              4. Bos,

                You may be on to something. I believe the passing game was coordinated by John Morton, and he’s still looking for a job.

    4. Harbaugh got a pass because he was a proven commodity. A good amount of his staff were guys that came with him from Stanford or he’d crossed paths with during his playing career.

      When he brought in college guys later no one blinked an eye.

      People don’t know what Tomsula can do, and most of the names are unfamiliar.

      I really think this is a 10-11 win team next year.

      1. @Jack

        I’m buying in with Tomsula and his staff…All the coaches that left lost just as many games a Harbaugh. It’s a new day…GO NINERS!!

        1. Delusional…?

          All of the pi$$ing and moaning about Tomsula and his coaching staff neglects one stat…Tomsula has one more NFL victory than Harbaugh had when he came to the 49ers. You have been hypnotized by the “QB whisperer”, conductor of some of the most ridiculous press conferences, and inflexible coaches, who had a SB quality team HANDED to him, and within 4 short years, screwed it up. Now, we have a staff of coaches who are serious ‘football’ men….Lets get to work!

          1. The parity in the NFL requires you have a top notch coaching staff if you want to raise Super Bowl banners. Can you honestly whisper to yourself in the mirror that this coaching staff of “serious football men” are top notch?

            1. @Razor

              Yes, I have no problem saying that this staff is top notch….at least as much as I was able to say it when the Harbaugh era began. 90% of the bloggers on here had never heard of Fangio, Roman, Leavitt, Seely, Geep, or Solari before they became 49er coaches…they earned their stripes HERE. Now, Geep, Rathman, Mangini, Tarver, and Sparano are here, with 4 more years of experience….What’s not top notch about that ?

              Razor, you and I only have one real disagreement…I don’t think that Kaepernick will ever be a quality starting QB….

              1. Oregoniner says, “90% of the bloggers on here had never heard of Fangio, Roman, Leavitt, Seely, Geep, or Solari before they became 49er coaches…they earned their stripes HERE”. Solari was regarded as one of the best at his craft, along with Seely prior to joining the 49ers. With at least 28 years of NFL coaching experience, Fangio was a made man well before he joined the 49ers. Leavitt was the father of the South Florida Bulls football program, and arrived in San Francisco with more stripes than a zebra. This ragtag staff that has been assembled by Baalksula are nothing more than a tale of two party convenience. The 49ers were down to their final options, and those options were down to their final opportunities except for one, and he was doing a radio show. Now, how you can sit there in front of your mirror and whisper to yourself that this is a top notch staff, is beyond imagination.

                As for Kaepernick ever realizing his potential at the quarterback position, I think he’s got a better than fair chance due to his work ethic and desire to be successful. However, I don’t believe Baalksula increased his chances with the moves they made, in fact, I believe they increased his degree of difficulty….

              2. Oregon,

                You have been a proponent for getting rid of Harbaugh, and also have made no secret you don’t think Kap is any good. Meanwhile both men played a large part in a run of success that was unprecedented. You have washed your hands of 2 individuals that were very successful before last season, and are happy with a group that has no success in the positions they have been given. I am having a hard time seeing the logic in this.

                You also came clean awhile back that you were upset when they replaced Alex Smith with Kap.

                My first question is: Could the Alex Smith decision have some bearing on your opinion regarding Harbaugh and Kap? And two, are you also Fansince77?

              3. Oregoniner, please your reading comprehension skills are slipping. I said Kaepernick had a better than fair chance of realizing his potential, rather than affirming he will. Maybe Baalksula trades Kaepernick for a ditch digger just to prove they can raise a Super Bowl banner without him. According to Baalke, they want to run the ball. Who is the teacher they hired to balance that philosophy with a legitimate passing attack? The one whose student regressed and the one whose red zone offense ranked 30th. Baalksula has not done him any favors, and he needs to get over his fear of drafting a number one receiver bust….

              1. Razor

                Please bookmark this day on the blog…a year from now, the loudest bitchers and moaners will be saying “I told you so…I told you they’d be more successful than Harbaugh….”

                I like your statement that CK will realize his potential because of his work ethic and desire….it takes that to be a ditch-digger, what about instincts and accuracy, and consistancy ? IN my opinion, we don’t need a passing attack or a running attack….we need a BALANCE of the two attacks. He is no longer a rookie…Russell Wilson is going to his second SB, and won his first.

              2. Razor

                you are correct in quoting their resumes, but They’ve been here 4 years now , did you honestly know of them before they arrived…if so, you’re part of the mythical 10% that I left room for….

              3. Anyone who was not familiar with the staff that Harbaugh assembled would be classified as a casual NFL football fan in my opinion….

          2. Tomsula has one more NFL victory than Harbaugh had when he came to the 49ers.

            That’s your argument? Sad dude, just plain sad.

            1. MWD

              No, that’s not my argument, it’s merely a fact for those who see the niner staff as a bunch of ‘rookies’…

  22. Rounding into form

    Position – Before – Now – replacement valued on the coaching market

    HC – Jim Harbaugh – Jim Tomsula – Less
    OC – Greg Roman – Geep Chryst – Less
    DC – Vic Fangio – Eric Mangini – Less
    OL – Mike Solari – Chris Foerster – Slightly Less
    DL – Jim Tomsula – TBD
    LB – Jim Leavitt – Jason Tarver – Slightly Less
    DB – Ed Donatell – TBD
    ST – Brad Seely – Thomas McGaughey – Slightly Less
    QB- Geep Chryst – Steve Logan Slightly Less
    RB – Tom Rathman – Tom Rathman – Same
    TE – Eric Mangini – Tony Sparano – More
    WR – John Morton – TBD (Curry?)

    1. The Bills offered Solari more than a million a year to coach their OL and he turned them down. Seems he may retire.

      1. He deserves a nice retirement. He’s been doing it forever. I’m excited about Foerster. Hoping he can involve more zone concepts. Simplify things.

        1. If my memory serves me correctly when we had foerester a couple years ago; our OL was pretty bad and we brought in solari to improve on what he was doing.

    2. That last category “replacement valued on the coaching market” is when I ask myself the basic question…

      if [replacement name] was on the open job market, competing with [old coach name], would they be more or less likely to snag the same position with another team.

      For example: If Harbaugh never went to Michigan, would he land an NFL HC job? Yes. Would Tomsula? No. So HC is marked “less.”

      This chart isn’t to grade position by position (we can do that next November) but to highlight how the 49ers now have alot of coaches that would have a hard time finding the same jobs on the open market.

      1. Mangini had interviews for HC and DC jobs. Several teams requested interviews with Chryst for OC, but were denied by the 49ers. These are not just guys they picked up off the street that nobody wanted.

    3. The DB and DL are likely “Less” because their predecessors Tomsula and Donatell were so good.

      Forgot the – for Logan.

      Again, this is not a predictor of performance. There are lots of positives about the new guys. I’m totally looking forward to Logan’s interviews and press conferences. I like his clarity on how to attack Seattle’s defense, and what he wants out of CK. .

      1. What coaching voices will Baalke allow to speak on a regular basis? That’s going to be interesting.

        1. True… Logan could be giving one word answers like CK. That alone will be a huge challenge for Logan. He could blow up and punch Baalke out. A youtube sensation.

    4. B2W,

      The salient point, whether your assessment of the relative value of Harbaugh’s and the new staff is correct or not, is that perception doesn’t necessarily reflect next year’s reality.

      1. Perception’s what its all about. (Steve Young alluded to that last night on KNBR). A glance at the before/after staffs shows the 49ers lost more coaches other teams covet, then gained.

        That said, I like alot of the new staff. I’ve been a fan of what Chryst’s brother did in Wisconsin with Tolzien, Wilson and WCO system they QBd. I like Tomsula and alot of the other staff.

        1. Perception is only important when trying to convince a coach or player to come to the 49ers.

          Once the season starts, perception doesn’t mean sh–, wins and losses are the only thing that matters.

    5. MWD

      C’mon man, we’re just talking semantics now ‘leftovers schmeftovers’ Rookies schmookies’ ….how ’bout ineptitudes ?

      1. This is about semantics. It’s about you saying something others said that they never did. Rookie and leftover are two completely different terms.

    1. Big Niner-I wanted Shanahan as well and after some reflection I concur with those who believe he wasn’t a serious candidate. Personally, I wanted him as HC which would have meant Fangio stayed and our D would have continuity not the struggling O.I love Coach Harbaugh but like many felt like our O was problematic.I see some comments lauding the idea of keeping the same system,fair enough.As a fan I would have liked to have seen a more exciting passing game and a quicker paced innovative O on the whole which I believe Shanahan would have added .Will we see it with the new staff?I have my doubts but feel it only fair to give em’ a chance.

  23. I posted this appointment FOUR DAYS AGO but y’all still persisted with all the “rumors.” Listen, Chryst I’m sure is a good football coach as are all the other NFL coaches. ALL of the players in the NFL are very good or they wouldn’t even be in the league. But one team loses every game. The competition in personell recruitment/drafting is to get the BETTER/SUPERIOR players and coaches. That’s how you win games and championships. Anyone delusional enough to think the 49ers are doing that?

  24. Jiminy F’n CHRYSTmas!!! Are kiddin me York!!??? This caps off the most abysmal, humiliating, embarrassing assembling of an NFL coaching staff, in the history of football!!! EVER!!!
    I should hurry and remove my custom 49er mailbox before it get bashed in by one of the 8 million football fans that are laughing their asses off at it, as they drive by.
    You cheap weenie-ass bastard York!! Thanks for the humiliation!! Now I have to hide in a deep dark hole like a mole…for months! Months!!! You halfwit York!!……AHHHHHHHH#*€@!!!!!!(AGONY SCREAMS)…….AHHHHHHHHHHH@#*@@*#!!!!!!(ANOTHER AGONY SCREAM).

      1. Dip – We are the laughing stock of the NFL at the moment…..For real man.

        Welcome to the blog Dip!…..I saw you in here the other day. I hope you stick around.

  25. Probably we will be spared another presser … “I made a list with boxes and Geep ….” (only one box this time folks …who’s ALREADY on the staff?”) I think next season will be hysterical FUN. Can’t wait.

  26. Brodie:
    Good list, but I don’t know about Roman. I was mostly not impressed with play calling and I thought there were missing elements to the offense, so hopefully things will get better.

    1. Market value was the point Brodie was making, not performance. Roman immediately was hired as offensive coordinator. Who would have hired Chryst for a similar position in the open market?

      1. Correct. The 49ers are replacing highly valued staff, with less valued staff. Its not a predictor of how I think the coaches will do, or who I think is better.

        The chart says alot about how 49er management thinks, and is perceived around the league.

        It feels like 2009-2010. Its not the Jimmy Raye signing that bugged me, but that the 49ers clearly had to settle for Raye.

        1. The Bears requested permission, and the Raiders were “reported” to be interested. Who else?

  27. My first 2015 prediction. It’s also my last.

    The 49ers will win more exhibition games than Harbaugh did in any of his four years.

    Why? They will feel that they have to.

    1. My first 2015 season prediction: The 49ers fans will boo the first time an offensive drive doesn’t end in points.

  28. Who has been the 49ers QB coach during the two year Colin Kaepernick slide since 2012? We read reports that CK is looking good throwing the ball in Phoenix under Kurt Warner’s tutelage. I’m sick already.

      1. Of course I’m not serious. I cannot believe the 49ers promoted to OC the guy who has overseen Kaepernicks fall from budding star to NFL bust.

        1. Maybe Harbaugh was the problem. He claimed that CK was elite, A+++. How do you coach someone who is already that good? Now Geep gets to call the shots. Just saying.

        2. Domingo,

          Chryst seemed to do a darn good job with Alex Smith. Could it be that Kaepernick isn’t all that coachable??? Inexperience is a credible reason to be concerned, but Kaepernick’s lack of development in my humble opinion is due to lack of ability (not strength or speed) and Harbaugh’s inability to accept he was wrong about him.

          1. @lotstosay

            Thank you for putting your post in exactly what I was trying (unsuccessfully) to say

  29. This is so reminiscent of when Nolan hired Jim Hostler. Wow Jed this is your life? This is what your big solution is? We will filet you and cook you on a spit for this. #dumptheyorks

  30. The 49ers Locker room attendant tweet…

    “So you’re saying there’s a chance.”

    Keep promoting from within Yorkie!

  31. I can see both sides of the argument.
    The positive folks. “We don’t know how it will turn out”
    The nay-sayers.. “We had a good coach and now we have his understudies”

    This is how I see it. There were good coaches out there to hire for head coach and OC. The rest I’m fine with. I’m comfortable I should say. But with the most important two vacancies on this team. We have downgraded on paper so far. We are basically clinging to a miracle, a walk off three run bomb vs Rivera, a turn around 60 foot buzzer beater. You positive folks have one thing right. We should give it a year to see what happens, BUT you can’t blame most for being doubtful with a rag tag duct tape rebuilt staff. Who obviously was found at the bottom of the nfl barrel. I’ll give them a year, but I’ll be clinching my Jesus piece the whole time. A miracle is what we are reduced too. When we had a sure fire stairway to heaven.

    1. The nay-sayers.. “We had a good coach and now we have his understudies”

      Just who are you thinking of as a Jim Harbaugh understudy. I’m just curious.

      1. Understudy meaning coaches who worked for him. Maybe I worded it wrong. I know tomsula and Chryst have coaches before working for Harbaugh. But I can’t think of them being on his level. And I can only hope the were acting like an understudy and soaking up some kind of knowledge he had.

  32. Inman mentioned that a league source said a number of Coaches shied away due to the possibility Tomsula flops and the coaching staff is replaced again next year.

    1. That’s not irrational. Do we know anything about the terms/length/outs of Jim Tomsula’s contract.

      1. Tomsula contract is probably structured the same way like kaepernick. It might be a year to year basis performance review. I’ll bet there’s no guarantee that he’ll be here the length of his contract just like Kap base on their performance:-)

    2. Steve Young was on KNBR this evening, for his pre-Super Bowl chat with Tolbert and Ratto. His opinion was that the current perception of the Niners F.O. around the league is not a positive one from a coaches perspective, and that perception sometimes just trumps reality.
      IMO, Tomsula and this new staff are safe for a couple seasons, he has a 4 year deal.
      Baalke’s contract runs through the 2016 season, and I believe that the Niners have an option for the 2017 season.

  33. This is a grand experiment unfolding in front of our eyes. What is more important, a talented roster, a solid coaching staff, or both? We’ll get some answers next year.

  34. I said right after Harbaugh/49ers “mutual agreement” departure that the key coaching signing would be the O-Cord.
    This is a highly disappointing hire. Chryst has been a marginal asst. coach in his coaching tenure and to give him such a responsible task only proves to me that the FO was more intent on separating itself from Jim Harbaugh with little regard to implementing a solid coaching staff going forward.

    I certainly hope that my disappointment is thrown back in my face by the team making a strong run at the playoffs in 2015, but at the moment I’m not feeling this move at all. It comes across as a desperate selection and nothing less.

    1. Depends on what you consider desperate. They always had Chryst in the their back pocket as a fall back option. They certainly appeared to be trying to find an alternative they liked better, but nothing worked out. Is it desperate to then go to your original fall back option?

      1. Is it desperate to then go to your original fall back option?

        It is when the front office is classified as toxic.

        1. Not really. Its only desperate if they didn’t like Chryst as a fall back option. Who knows whether they did or not.

          1. I think the better question would be if Chryst was their fallback option or their last option.

              1. I never dated in high school Grimey, mainly because I had zero interest in doing so. So that girl that I ‘dated’ was more or less air. Nonexistent.

              2. Or Midwest- He could be saying that Chryst is like air with a polyurathine form. An inflatable plastic girlfriend.

              3. @Willtalk “An inflatable plastic girlfriend” Please direct any questions you might have regarding the maintenance to Mr. Sanders….

      2. Yes, especially if it turns out to be the last dime in your pocket.
        Let’s face it, the FO couldn’t swim in the big pool and settled for the kiddy pool.

        1. Who did they really look at for the OC position? Not that many guys are known to have been chased by the 49ers for the role. We know they wanted Chudzinski. They hired Chryst not long after they found out they couldn’t get him. Its quite possible he was not that far down their list of preferred OCs.

          1. Scooter,

            I have to give you credit, you’re an unflinching optimist. I wish I could be the same; it’s going to be a long offseason of depression.

            1. If the team stinks next year I’ll be just as loud as anyone in voicing my displeasure over the coaching hires. But I am willing to give them a chance to show what they can do before I label them rubbish. And I do think there is some over reaction regarding the new coaching staff and the “ineptitude” of the front office.

              Please don’t take that to mean I don’t think there is some truth to many of the concerns being voiced, I think there is, just that it probably isn’t quite as bad as many fans would like to believe right now.

          2. Who did they really look at for the OC position?

            We know that they were still talking with Gase after snubbing him, that they preferred to sit on their laurels waiting on a wing and a prayer for Chudzinski to leave the Colts, and that they were turned down for an interview by a no-name in Bicknell. Not many yes, but the indication is that no one really wanted the position, so I wouldn’t expect the list of candidates to be long.

            1. Did I ever say Tomsula was hiring his coaches in a vacuum, ht? Baalke made it clear it would be a collaborative process.

          3. It’s very possible, maybe even likely, that they never intended to hire anyone but Tomsula, Chryst, and Mangini.

            1. Yup that is my exact thoughts. This all was a predetermined hire and it started with hiring Mangini on the offensive side of the ball couple of years ago.

  35. I’d like to officially start a club to get rid of York the way he got rid of Harbaugh. What a freakin idiot!! Strikes the coaching lottery with Harbaugh, but his ego can’t manage to get along with him. Promises a Super Bowl caliber coach then promotes the D Line coach who no other team even wanted for a coordinator. Promotes a never was in Mangini to DC and a guy with zero winning seasons to OC. Please someone buy the Niners and take them away from these Geeep skates! I really hope I’m wrong, but how can you have improvement when all you do is shuffle around the same pieces??? No one wants to work for you now because they’ll get pushed out even if they are consistently successful! 3 NFC Championships and a SuperBowl appearance, no thanks we would rather lose with class! #questforYorksProfits #YorksNeedToGo #WeReallyHadNoPlan

  36. I was hoping for a Ferrari…now I’ll have to settle for a Geep……oh boy……you think we haven’t had a decent offense since Marriuchi……wow. Bill Walsh is turning in his grave.

  37. Tale of the tape:

    Michigan vs 49ers coaches

    HC – Harbaugh vs Tomsula = Complete mismatch….Harbaugh wins by 1st round TKO

    OC – Tim Drevno vs Geep Chryst

    Drevno was Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator at the University of San Diego from 2004-06 and TE coach at Stanford 2007-08 and Harbaugh’s O line coach at Stanford 2009-10 and was Harbaugh’s O line coach with 49ers. Last season Drevno served as USC’s O line coach.

    Drevno win this matchup by a unanimous decision

    DC – D.J. Durkin vs Eric Mangini

    Durkin was D line coach at Stanford from 2007-2009 and recently was Defensive Coordinator at Univ of Florida the last 2 years. Florida’s defense was ranked in top 10 in 2013 and in top 15 in 2014. Durkin is used to winning and Mangini is known for losing.

    D.J. Durkin win this battle by TKO in 8th round.

    Remainder of Michigan staff vs remainder of 49ers staff

    Six of the remaining Michigan coaches have either played or coached in the NFL. These 2 really stand out:
    Jedd Fisch (OC for Jacksonville Jags last 2 years)
    Greg Mattison (Balt Ravens DC 2009-2010) (UM DC 2011-2014)

    Remaining Michigan coaches win by a split decision.

    I would take Harbaugh and staff easily over Tomsula and Co.

    BTW, I didn’t highlight 49ers coaches info because most of you are familiar with them. :)

    ….Nice hires York!! …Is this your “Dream Team” staff?

    1. “Durkin is used to winning and Mangini is known for losing.”

      Florida was 11-13 the last 2 seasons.

      1. Ham – He coached at Florida the last 5 years and their record was 37-26 which is a winning record in a top notch conference….Look at the entire body of work and the level of competition……
        As for Mangini, he is too soft for the NFL….Everybody knows it……He’s lucky to walk into a top 5 veteran defense…..No way he can screw this up……Or can he? ;)

      2. I would suggest that Mangini got pretty used to winning while at New England. Its only as a HC he’s got a losing record.

        1. Scooter – He was riding Belichick’s coattail in N.E. …He was DB coach 4 of the 5 years he was there…..Pats were not exactly a stellar defense in the early 2000’s.
          I’d rather have a fiery intense coach like D.J. Durkin than a softy like Mangini. Watch how good Michigans defense is next year……

          Losing Fangio will bite us eventually.

          1. Mangini has a winning record for his time in the league. You may not like him, but that doesn’t change the W-L.

            1. Ham – You seem to like every player/coach I dislike….It’s all good.
              This Niner team has 12-4 talent but will probably go 9-7 with this coaching staff…….If Bill Belichick was coaching Niners they probably go 13-3 next year.

              One more thing on D.J. Durkin, Harbaugh seeked him out to be his DC at UM. That’s how high Harbs was on him. Durkin had coaching options, unlike Mangini (The Mango) :)

              1. If the 49ers finish above .500 next year, Tomsula will be the only HC (other than Harbaugh), hired by the Yorks in 15 years, to do so.

              2. Crab,

                Durkin was a good hire. I wasn’t debating that.

                This team will win 10-11games in 2015.

  38. It’s crystal clear now that our search for a head coach created all of our problems. The rest of the NFL appears to feel as though this team can’t possibly succeed with Tomsula at head coach. Clearly , they saw his introductory presser. The league obviously feels like it’s virtually impossible for a position coach to jump over a coordinators job right to head coach.
    Realizing that our new head coach has no reputation or credibility outside of the Bay Area is obviously a terrible thing. Other position coaches and coordinators refused to come here because they believe that Tomsula is one and done. In order for that to happen, our season would have to be a complete disaster. Like a 4-12 season or worse. That’s a long ways away from the playoffs. That’s bad, really bad. Could this team actually slip and fall that far? I can’t believe this crap!

    1. Worst. A more complex 3-4 scheme to learn and potentially the same offense doesn’t equal success. The Cardinals were a injury plagued team and yet they made it to the playoffs, so I dread thinking about what a healthy Cardinals team will be like. The Rams are really just a QB away from competing and could be a viable contender in 2015. And (whether we like it or not) the Seahawks are the big boys on the block. There are simply too many questions on the 49ers to even classify right now as a contender.

      1. Mid, why do you think the 49ers defensive personnel will be unable to learn a more complex defensive scheme? If they are able to learn it, isn’t there a reasonable chance that with a talented defensive roster such a scheme may work very well?

        1. They can learn it but I think it will take some time. I also recall the players on defense talking about how the previous defense was difficult to learn and that they were happy that Fangio brought in a more simplified but effective 3-4 scheme.

          1. Whoops. Said that incorrectly. I meant to say the Nolan defense was difficult to learn and that they were happy that then DC Greg Manusky simplified it. My fault.

          2. Here’s a piece from a Bucky Brooks article in 2009 to support some of my statement:

            While Singletary’s promotion played a part in the defense’s stellar showing to close the season, it was Manusky’s decision to simplify the scheme that allowed the unit to thrive.

            Manusky, who played for 12 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker/special teams stalwart before entering the coaching ranks, scrapped the team’s hybrid defense in favor of a conventional base 3-4. Under Nolan, the team favored multiple fronts with various personnel groupings designed to counter the intricate tactics preferred by offensive coordinators. The complex approach, however, often left the team’s young defenders dazed and unable to play at a fast tempo. By scaling back game plans and removing some of the advanced schemes, Manusky not only eliminated some of the mental mistakes that plagued the unit, but he allowed his defense to play faster, which resulted in more aggressive play.

            1. This is mostly a veteran defense now Mid. If these guys aren’t able to adapt to a slightly more complex system, they aren’t trying hard enough. As the article points out, it can be very useful for a defense with a lot of young guys to simplify things a little and thereby improve the comfort level. Shouldn’t be necessary with more veteran players.

              Also, worth noting that the “complex” scheme that Mangini is mostly familiar with is similar to the scheme Manusky ran (the Fairbanks – Bullough). Exactly what will he be doing that is going to make it so much more difficult to learn than what Manusky did?.

              1. This is mostly a veteran defense now Mid.

                So was that team.

                If these guys aren’t able to adapt to a slightly more complex system, they aren’t trying hard enough. As the article points out, it can be very useful for a defense with a lot of young guys to simplify things a little and thereby improve the comfort level. Shouldn’t be necessary with more veteran players.

                We have a good chance of having a younger squad next season if Cox, Culliver, and Brooks go elsewhere and J. Smith retires. Even more so if Willis is traded or released along with those potential losses. And saying they aren’t trying hard enough is not the greatest statement because the article also points out that the more complex schemes led to the young players feeling dazed and unable to play at a fast tempo.

                Also, worth noting that the “complex” scheme that Mangini is mostly familiar with is similar to the scheme Manusky ran (the Fairbanks – Bullough). Exactly what will he be doing that is going to make it so much more difficult to learn than what Manusky did?.

                It will depend on what the defensive side of the ball looks like next year. It will also depend of whether we have the vets needed to play in a fast scheme.

              2. The complexity of the defense, and what Manusky simplified, was primarily regarding the front 7 and their alignments and responsibilities. In that regard Fangio’s system was actually more complex than Manusky’s.

                We’ll see what happens, but I don’t think the issues of increased complexity are as great as you believe them to be. Mainly because I don’t think Mangini’s defense will be that much more complex than what Fangio ran. I just think he’ll likely have, and use, more blitz packages, and we may see some more variety between 3-4 standard fronts, under fronts and over fronts.

            2. Seattle takes the same simple approach and it allows them to play downhill during the game.

      2. Also, why will the Rams offense be better than the 49ers? They are in an at least as bad a predicament as the 49ers when it comes to OC hires, and they don’t have a QB.

        1. I never said that the Rams offense would be better than the 49ers, but that they are a QB away from becoming a viable contender. That does not mean that their offense will be better than ours, just that they could have a complementary offense to their defense which make them a serious threat.

          1. No you just said they are a QB away from being a viable contender. Yet they are having just as many issues as the 49ers in hiring an OC. What makes you think their offense, even if they do get a QB, is going to be any good? Is their D better than the 49ers? Why are they so close to being a contender? And why will the 49ers be worse than them?

            1. No you just said they are a QB away from being a viable contender.

              Actually I said this: The Rams are really just a QB away from competing and could be a viable contender in 2015.

              What makes you think their offense, even if they do get a QB, is going to be any good?

              Because they now have a sound runner in Tre Mason. If they get a decent enough QB to make the passing game more relevant, then the Rams offense could have a formula similar to the 2011 49ers offense.

              Is their D better than the 49ers?

              I never said that it was. However, the Rams do have a good enough defense that, along with a complementary offense, could allow them to make some noise.

              Why are they so close to being a contender?

              They have a good number of the pieces to the puzzle already.

              And why will the 49ers be worse than them?

              Again, I didn’t say that. The question was whether the team is closer to 1st or worst. I think they’re closer to worst, but that doesn’t mean I think they’ll finish last in 2015.

              1. Well then, the good news is based on your logic that the 49ers are close to being a contender, too.

              2. The 49ers are most likely going to lose a good numbers of players this offseason, so I don’t know how you came to that conclusion.

              3. The 49ers will lose some players, that is true. But they already have replacements in place for most if not all of them.

                The Rams have a good D, and Tre Mason looked decent. But they lack a QB and their WRs are pretty average. And obviously they’ll need an OC. Not having much luck there.

                The 49ers have a good D and decent looking RB too. They have a QB in place, and their WRs are pretty average though Boldin and Davis are better than anything the Rams have. They’ve not got an exciting OC, but at least they have one.

                I’m not seeing how the Rams are in a better position than the 49ers. If the Rams are a potential contender if they get a decent QB, so are the 49ers.

              4. The 49ers will lose some players, that is true. But they already have replacements in place for most if not all of them.

                Yep. Young players.

                But they lack a QB and their WRs are pretty average. And obviously they’ll need an OC. Not having much luck there

                The same things were said about the 2011 49ers.

                I’m not seeing how the Rams are in a better position than the 49ers.

                Never said they were. I said they could be.

                If the Rams are a potential contender if they get a decent QB, so are the 49ers.

                There’s more that could ail the 49ers than getting decent QB play. Who will step in beside Boldin as the starter? If Smith retires, then who takes his place? How well will Lynch perform as the starter when Brooks is gone? Will Willis be traded or let go, and if so, then will Borland be able to fill his shoes? How will our secondary look? Can Reid stay concussion free? Will Johnson be an effective starter opposite of Brock? How good will the LG position be after Iupati leaves? Will Davis have a bounce back year? Will A. Smith stay out of trouble? And finally, how good will the schemes from Chryst and Mangini be? There’s too many questions currently on this team (including some that I probably haven’t mentioned) that keep me from believing the 49ers are closer to first.

          2. @grant

            The Rams have been young and on the rise for half a decade now. They are destined to be permanently young and on the rise.

  39. why all the crying about hiring geep–I think he will get kaepernick to approach his potential—a mediocre quarterback

  40. I am surprised and rather disappointed that Fan77 didn’t try to spin the Niner’s having to settle for Chyrst as being Kaeps fault because no OC wanted to be saddled with him as QB.

    1. Willtalk

      That wasn’t Fan77….THAT WAS ME!….I’m sure that Fan77 probably has a similar opinion. Could be the flu….

  41. Some suggest that there is little basis for pessimism with the changes to the coaching staff. Maybe a little more history is a guide. The Yorks have owned the 49ers since 2000, They inherited a fairly talented team with Steve Mariucci as HC. In 2002 the 49ers lost in the divisional playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl winning Bucs. Mariucci took the team to 4 playoff appearances in 6 years and, like Harbaugh, was fired. Harbaugh’s record is known to all so I won’t repeat it. During the balance of the York’s tenure, several coaches were hired and fired with an accumulated record of 46 wins and 82 losses, with only Singletary reaching even .500. There was not one winning season in any year other than those coached by Harbaugh and Mariucci (who was not hired by the Yorks). So, the gang that can’t shoot straight but accidentally landed Harbaugh now expects all to believe that they will bring us their second head coach in 15 years to win more games than they lose. To anyone who says that I am being unduly negative I will recall the words of Steve Martin: “WELL, EXCUUUUUUUSE ME”

    1. History is a tough nut to crack. As Steve Young pointed out on KNBR this week, the national perception is that they don’t have a clue, or something to that effect. Excellent analysis.

      As an unrelated side, Noland just took his next job as a line backer coach. DC, HC(Yorks), DC (Atlanta), and now linebacker coach.

    2. Whine Country

      Excellent post…the historical perspective took some researching, I’d bet. My only prayer to find you wrong, is that we have so many quality returning players, and depending on how many of our free agents we re-sign, and how we do in open FA as well as the draft. My biggest concern, to no ones’ surprise, is QB. I’d love to pick up a FA QB, and Draft another for the long term future….We could win the Western Conference going 10-6

    3. Nay, Eunice Harper said it better:

      Excuse me for living!

      Not even mama Harper would approve of the 49er hires.

  42. I think Niner fans should get used to the possibility that a Terry Donahue/Dennis Erickson level implosion could occur next year. The staff may surprise us, but the possibility of being one of the worst teams in the NFL exists. I would put those chances at 50/50 and only because this team has loads of talent (it would be much worse otherwise). If things go bad, no way this staff is capable of managing the slide. The team will completely unravel. They no where they’ve been and what they had, so experiencing the difference will affect them mentally (unless they have immediate success).

    GRANT – Please write a column the tracks the York’s awful ownership and decision record, and why it is clear that they need to sell this team. Their reputation has placed the Niners at a long-term competitive disadvantage, as they are unable attract top talent. Jed had no track record when he hired Harbaugh. He does now and it is not a good one.

    1. let me add that you’d be able to get lots of off the record quotes from NFL personnel. I don’t think this organization or the York’s should go unpunished for what they have done here.

  43. It is my belief that the new staff was hired for only one thing – the playbook. Harbaugh came in and put in a system, much like Walsh did. When Walsh left they brought in a defensive minded guy – Seifert. Walsh system continued just as Harbaugh’s system will continue.

    Most of us witnessed the lean years under Erickson, Nolan and Singletary. What is their common thread, offenses that could not get out of there own way. When they got a good OC they went to Green Bay and San Diego. Changes in the offense playbook results in lack of continuity which brings disastrous results we all saw that. I never want to go back to those days again.

    Jack and Scooter keep it up, its good to see some optimism.

    Rocket and AES, you guys are usually upbeat and stay true to form in your love of the Niners. I find you guys shaking your heads for the first time. Hopefully your fandom will resume with the same energy you guys are known for.

    The world is not coming to an end and the sky is not falling. This is not a bad staff with a talented team. Next year at this time I could be singing a different tune if this fails. I didn’t like Harbaugh leaving but it is what it is.

    1. Thanks for the pep talk undercenter, I think 99% of this blog needs it. I’m still on the Jack and Scooter side, but its not like I don’t have my doubts, and plenty of them.

      But you’re right, the fact that the playbook and verbage will go mostly unchanged is a plus, especially for our developing QB. My main concern there is just the week to week game planning, especially against defenses like the hawks, cards, and rams twice a year. With Harbs, Roman, Chryst, Solari, etc. we had quite a number of credible offensive minds all contributing to the week to week game plan. Now that changes to Chryst, Forester, Sparano, Logan. A lot more relying on Chryst. I’m not saying he/they can’t do it, but only time will tell.

      I just hope Chryst is a lot better play caller than a QB coach

    2. UC,

      I made my thoughts known below, but I will not stop being a fan of this team. I’m extremely disappointed in how this has transpired but life goes on.

    3. What does “love of the 49ers” have to do with optimism? Do you think that those who point out things that are wrong with the York ownership do it out of spite? If I keep getting up every morning, this will be my 70th season. Do you think I’ve hung around that long because of optimism?

      When optimism is based on false analysis or pep rally excitement, there is a good chance that there is going to be a scape goat in the not too distant future. Right, we just did that bit.

      Some folks see our roster as if everyone will have career years in 2015. That is optimism with insufficient analysis.

      When ownership is perceived by the NFL world as undercutting an outstanding coach it’s going to have real effects even if it’s not a valid perception. When a GM puts together an offensive staff before he hires the OC, it’s perceived, by coaches, as interference in their domain even if it’s not a valid perception. These are observations made by Steve Young on KNBR this week. If I’ve mess represented his thoughts, that’s on me.

  44. Oooooh Jedpetto! you have turned our 49ers into stiffs, do us all a favor, sell the team and go back to Youngstown……….take that Trent with you

  45. I’ll be the first one to admit that I have been disappointed with our offseason and the way our staff has taken shape. As unhappy as I am about it, I’m not going to jump off a building just yet. I still believe this team is plenty capable of making the playoffs. We’ll have a better feel for Tomsula and the staff after the first few games. I wont judge them yet, but this really does feel like the Erickson era.

    1. Like you, I will never bail on the Niners like all these bandwagon fans. Good, bad, ugly, I support this team. However, I am sorely disappointed in how this has progressed, beginning with Harbaugh. The York’s just seem like fish out of water when it comes to managing an NFL franchise. I am actually fine with Tomsula, but everything that has followed, has been comical. Basically, we have added almost every cast-off from other teams, OR guys who haven’t coached their position in years, if at all. That really shows how the coaching establishment views our management and our treatment of Harbaugh.

      If we do not make the playoffs, no one survives, save Jed. At that point, Jed will have no choice but to turn over everything to a strong, proven coach, who can bring in his own GM (ala Carroll). By his own doing, Jed will be swept into the background. Obviously, I am hoping this scenario does not occur, but the %’s are certainly not in Tomsula’s favor. Few inexperienced head coaches have had great success their first time out as HC (ie Carroll, Belichick, etc.).

    1. Dick never minces words.
      .
      I think we’ll be seeing comments like his from more guys around the league in the coming days and weeks.
      .
      Jed and Trent are making a mockery of the organization right now.
      .
      If they can get back to their dominating ways next season, they’ll be proven right and can proudly say ‘I told you so.’
      .
      But I don’t think guys around the league foresee that happening.
      .
      .
      .
      ~ALOHA~

        1. I don’t see one rumor out there let alone a journalist reporting that balke is gone.. That’s behind far fetched.. He has so much power it makes zero sense.

          1. No, not about Baalke. Talking about Chryst. Niners haven’t announced it yet. I’m wonder why and if it could be that Baalke is out of town. He was out of town earlier.

      1. Makes sense. But you know, one source says it and all the other journalists assume it’s true. There used to be a rule in journalism about having at least two sources before confirming, wasn’t there?

        1. Now that’s an old principle that probably died soon after Watergate.

          Now it’s “Fire, Aim.”

  46. Interesting piece on Logan.
    http://www.ninersnation.com/2015/1/28/7936409/steve-logans-philosophy-on-the-quarterback-and-the-passing-game
    Bill Walsh would approve of Logan’s sentiments. He sounds OK….on paper (or whiteboard).

    After learning that he had been the HC of East Carolina Univ, I was reminded of the Liberty Bowl game in the late 90s when a better Ty Willingham-coached Stanford team was outcoached and outplayed by ECU. Turns out Logan was the coach of ECU.

    1. The more I hear about Logan, the more confidence I gain in this hire. He has credibility in developing QBs, definitely more than Chryst.

      I think Scooter made the comment that one of his concerns was not bringing on an offensive guru as OC the develop Colin, but Kap has had some pretty good offensive minds around him (Harbaugh, Roman, Chryst). I think if he cannot grow his skill anymore past this point with Logan/Chryst then he is obviously not the guy. One of the keys this season is to have a plan B in place in case he falters.

      I’m okay with this staff. And I really think Chryst was probably more like plan B or C, as opposed to plan Σ or Ω like grant would have you believe. Why else would they go about hiring a majority of the offensive staff before hiring our OC. I’m cautiously optimistic at this point.

      1. Using your logic I think that it was going to be Chryst all the time. In fact that’s my logic too. It also tells other OC candidates to not take the job as a serious opportunity.

    2. Mood:

      Thanks for posting this. I found it really interesting and watched both Parts 1 and 2. Logan explains offensive plays very clearly. But both videos that I’ve watched show plays that require speed/quickness at WR. Hopefully that will finally be an emphasis during free agency and/or the draft.

  47. I warn everyone in advance that this is a rant of the utmost negativity. If you don’t want negativity, stop reading now.

    I’m a realist first and foremost. I will always be a fan of the 9ers and will support them no matter what, but I’m not blinded by fandom and I analyze everything, probably to a fault.

    To those like UC and Scooter who are trying to find positive threads amid the rubble, I applaud you, I really do. It takes an unwavering belief to keep a positive attitude when everything seems to be piling up on the negative side.

    As I said though, I’m a realist and I took some time to go over what has happened over the past year or so. Here’s what I see:

    One of the best HC’s in football fired because of a personality conflict with the Owner/GM

    The owner being quoted as saying “anyone could win with this team.”

    Rumors swirling and negative leaks about the HC transpiring over the course of the season.

    The owner embarrassing himself and his team with a ridiculous apology tweet on Thanksgiving.

    A press conference where the owners contribution is winning with class and not much else.

    The hiring of a nice guy, good Dline Coach, and somebody woefully unqualified to take over an NFL team that is a SB contender right now.

    The convoluted search for Coordinators which ultimately end up with the TE’s Coach becoming the DC and the QB Coach becoming the OC.

    No matter how you want to spin this, there is no way to convince anyone with a modicum of common sense that this is a Coaching staff as good as our previous one.

    It is quite clear that many Coaches wanted no part of this team. Again we can delude ourselves into believing otherwise, but a league source confirmed it and the fact they interviewed or were linked to certain individuals tells the real story.

    Now there is a report from Jason Cole that 3 players he talked to are dismayed by the hire of Geep Chryst. That they believe the team just wants to save money on Coaches which is why they have the guys they do. Dissension in the locker room is poison.

    I will not try to tell an optimist they are wrong. It’s their prerogative to see things how ever they like, but I also can’t read some of the stuff I am and not respond with a reality check. This is not the Coaching staff any fan was expecting or wanting. If you did then you are either lying or you are a family member of one of the guys hired. We have gone from one of the best Coaching staffs in football, to a group of Coaches that nobody else was fighting to hire. We have a DC with one horrible year in that role on his resume and an OC with two horrible years in that role on his. We have a HC with one year of HCing experience in a league that no longer exists. Again, I see no way to spin that in a positive way. We can talk about who they had in the way of talent, injuries etc, but as Fangio proved this year, that is a weak argument. Good Coaches find a way. Bad ones don’t.

    Here’s the reality guys: We are a little over a year removed from being a play a way from our second straight trip to the SB. This is a SB contending team talent wise that they have just put in the hands of a second rate Coaching staff. Coaching matters. If it didn’t Singletary would have had more success than he did.

    We are all going to continue to be fans of the 9ers but this team just took a major step in the wrong direction imo. I hope I’m wrong and if I am I will gladly reappear and take any shots that come my way, but I just don’t see it guys. This is a team that has been undermined by the ego of the young son of the owners and the GM. They believe any one can Coach this team and have success. Well success for a SB contending team is just that: a SB. Winning 9-10 games next year is not success. Winning 8 or less is a disaster.

    When I look at the division and the good teams in the NFC, I see the Niners now in the middle at best. That is a damn shame considering they were on the cusp of being Champions not that long ago.

      1. The main guys, Harbaugh and Roman, as inept as they are, got snatched up right away.
        .
        Two of them, Rathman and Chryst, are obviously not responsible in any way for the ineffectiveness of the offense because they’ve been retained and in Chrst’s case, promoted.
        .
        Solari will probably retire.
        .
        Morton? We’ll see.
        .
        Whatever the case, apparently Harbaugh gets no credit for putting together a DEFENSIVE staff that fielded a top 5 defense, who’s coodinator and most of its assistants were also expendable.
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

            1. Ectly.

              Silly comment M. Hammer.

              You know he could’ve had his pick of the HC vacancies.
              .
              .
              .
              ~ALOHA~

          1. Oh yes.
            .
            Thank you Mr. Dynasty.
            .
            Can’t forget the multi-talented Mangini The Magnificant.
            .
            He’s right up there with Fruitpie the Magician!
            .
            .
            .
            ~ALOHA~

        1. A good number of the coaches from as you put it, the best staffs in football, are still here. That’s a bad thing?

          1. Most of the Coaches that made it one of the best staffs are gone. Promoting a a QB Coach who really didn’t do a very good job with the QB, and had a terrible run as an OC in his only previous experience in that capacity, is not a good thing.

            Nobody wanted Chryst as OC a month ago Jack. There is a reason for that. Now we have some trying to put a positive spin on it, but the cold hard reality is: he’s the OC because they couldn’t get anyone better.

            1. I don’t disagree with you on why Chryst is the OC. He was going to either be that or the QB coach.

              For the best staff in football to only have 4 guys land NFL jobs elsewhere is interesting.

              1. Yep. It says they had enough of this front office’s toxic nature and really didn’t want to find out if that nature was a prevalent thing elsewhere in the NFL.

              2. There are a couple of reasons for that. Harbaugh and Solari could have NFL jobs right now but don’t because of personal choice.

                There’s also the fact that some of them were in the wait and see mode while the Niners conducted their Coaching “search.”

                It’s impossible to argue the current Coaching staff is as good as the old one. Doesn’t mean they won’t have success, but if we are sitting here on January 29th 2015 and looking at the situation realistically, they have taken a step back in the Coaching department.

            2. Rocket,

              Chryst seemed to do a darn good job with Alex Smith. Could it be that Kaepernick isn’t all that coachable??? Inexperience is a credible reason to be concerned, but Kaepernick’s lack of development in my humble opinion is due to lack of ability (not strength or speed) and Harbaugh’s inability to accept he was wrong about him.

              1. Lotstosay,

                While I don’t think that’s the case, it is possible you are correct and Kap is as good as he’s going to be. I just wish we had an OC I believed could give us the answer.

          2. Jack, you’re trying to put rose petals on top of cow pies in the hope that it will kill the horrific odor. It won’t.

              1. You are. You’re trying to spin that the coaching staff led by Harbaugh wasn’t as good as it appeared to be and that this new staff of mainly castoffs can do the same thing the Harbaugh staff did.

              2. Fangio wasn’t a hot prospect when Harbaugh hired him for Stanford in 2010. Harbaugh helped turn him into the “hot prospect” for 2015.

                We’ll see how the guys that Tomsula gives chances to turn out.

    1. Excellent post Rocket. I agree with everything you said. I will always be a 49ers fan, but everything that you mentioned has also led me to believe that this team is trending in the wrong direction. We traded a first rate coaching staff for a class of second tier guys. That does not equal a Super Bowl team let alone a successful one. Like you, I hope to heck that I am wrong, but gutting a coaching staff that knew how to utilize the team’s talent and brought us to the Super Bowl winner cusp no once but three straight times after being lead for nearly a decade by others that failed to do so just doesn’t say to me that York or Baalke are wanting to put a true effort into bringing home a sixth Lombardi.

      1. Mid, Robert,

        Thanks. It’s depressing to see how this is playing out but we will suffer through every moment of it because we are 9er fans.

    2. Rocket,

      I am with you. I expect nothing less than a NFCCG. Will we get there, probably not. But since this owner thinks anyone can take this team that far, I should expect nothing else. To add to that, all of our people top players will be healthy. BARK(Baalke & York) should be praying they get to the playoffs next years.

    3. Good post rocket.

      I realise throughout this I’ve gotten a reputation as being an optimist, and I guess I am to a degree. I’d just like to clarify that I see all of the same issues you do, and certainly don’t dismiss them as fancy. I do tend to think those issues are taken to their extreme by the fans and media, and that the reality may not be quite as bad as perception, but there are clearly issues within this organisation right now.

      What I do believe is that we have a reasonably talented roster. It will be interesting to see who they keep and who they lose, and who they add for next season. But a lot of good pieces are currently in place. A decent coaching staff should be able to make this team competitive.

      The question is do we have a decent coaching staff? I don’t know the answer to that. It is disheartening to see the team appearing to settle for fall back options. It may be that the HC, OC and DC are in fact the guys they wanted all along, but I think all three guys were fall back options to some degree, though Tomsula was always a leading candidate.

      But just because they are fall back options doesn’t mean they can’t be effective or good at what they do. I’m not encouraged by the hirings, but until we see how the team responds to them it is impossible to know if they’ll be any good. Schematically this team shouldn’t look a whole lot different. Play calling wise we don’t really know if this coaching staff is better or worse, though I’m not holding my breath they’ll be an improvement. From a teaching point of view the loss of guys like Donatell and Leavitt hurts, but they still have some pretty well respected teachers in the building.

      A lot of what will make or break this a coaching staff is how the players respond to them, how much they buy into what the coaching staff is doing. If the players buy in, this team may not be that much different to what they were under Harbaugh between 2011 and 2013. So the key challenge I see for the coaching staff will be getting the players to believe in them.

      To me this is where the FO have gone wrong. They haven’t factored in the impact of these moves and decisions on player morale. They have made it harder on Tomsula to win the team over by not surrounding him with one or two really well respected, name coaches. Which is one of the reasons why I think getting a guy like Shanahan (though I realise Shanahan himself may be unlikely now) in as a Senior Assistant/ Associate HC or whatever title they want to give him would be a very good thing.

      1. Excellent response Scooter. The saving grace in all of this is the roster. They have talent. It’s incumbent on the Coaching staff to get the most out of it which is where my biggest concerns lie.

        I just can’t help feeling we have seen a great chance at a long reign of success destroyed by ego.

      2. Good posts Scooter/Rocket,

        I think I fall somewhere in between your two arguments, but more leaning towards Scooter. I wonder how much of a back-plan was Mangini/Chryst. Speculations and rumors were running rampant and still do, but I think a big part of that is due to the length of the process.

        We didn’t see many brought in for the DC spot. You would think they would have some viable options make themselves available to run a defense of this caliber. Tarver was speculated, but ultimately was brought in as LB coach. After that Joseph out of Cincy was the only other name being thrown around, but Mangini seems to have been one of their top candidates the entire time.

        Offensively, we saw JT/Baalke take their time here. Gase was obviously their top choice, but I don’t think Chryst was that far off. Why? Well look at what took place after Gase eventually denied the offer; the offensive staff started coming together. Why would they do that unless they already had their guy chosen or on staff? A team has no idea who an OC would want to bring in until they hired them. Chryst was likely their plan after Gase.

        The plan, as I’ve said before, seems to be to run the blueprint that Harbaugh set in place when he arrived, but with out the drama and conflict harbaugh brought to the team. Roman was seen as part of the problem, so the next best thing was to hire the man behind Harbaugh/Roman. Chryst has Roman’s playbook and running schemes. I’m sure he will add to it, and make it his own, but it will be very similar to what we saw in 2011-2013. For whatever reason, Roman got completely away from the identity we established, but this plan was put in place to bring it back.

        Yes our main concern last year was the offense. Our O-line dropped drastically last year, our premier TE fell off the earth, our mighty RB lost some steps, and our QB regressed, not to mention our WRs couldn’t catch a cold. But if our O-line returns to form, Vernon returns to earth, Hyde (and possibly Gore) have a solid year, and our QB takes the needed steps to progress and take his game to the next level then this team is a contender.

        Again I have my doubts as most here do, but I want to see how this plays out before I pass judgment.

      3. Scooter you’re concern about the players may come down to what was reported earlier today. If the players come to believe that Harbaugh was removed for petty reasons, and that the prime mover in building the new staff was saving money for the owners, the we got roster problems.

        The players will also be looking hard to find out how good the new coaches are at putting the players into situations that can increase their ability to perform. We know from experience that Jim Tomsula is very good at that with defensive linemen. How good will he be at doing it team wide is a valid question. Mangini and Chryst have a record no where near Tomsula’s for enhancing the performance of players under their leadership. In fact, Chryst’s record with Colin seems to be a negative. We do know that Chryst came up with a play design that found a hole in the Saint’s goal line defense, but we don’t know much else. That’s especially true for calling plays.

        I especially like what Brent Jones said about Bill Wash’s play calling. It was something like he would tell us that on a given play you’ll be wide open. In Brent’s case, he would make the catch and naturally brace for the hit, only to find that there wasn’t anyone there to hit him. That’s the stuff that builds player confidence.

        1. Another case would be where Fangio’s players would point to him in the box when one of hit “tip sheet” items resulted in a big defensive play. I’m sure that the defensive players like Tomsula, but will they come to believe in him the way they seemed to believe in Fangio?

    4. Well done Rocket. I only have one observation to make, and that’s that the roster may not prove to be at a Superbowl contending level in 2015 for physical and other reasons. It’s easy to think in terms of each important players best year when predicting their future performance. Who would have predicted that someone as outstanding as Ahmad Kadar Brooks in 2013 would have the season he had in 2014?

      1. htwaits,

        Very true. We can’t predict the unpredictable, but if healthy, this is a very talented roster even with the possible defections in FA.

    5. Rocket,

      l don’t like the way York and Baalke have gone about things, not at all, but as for the hires themselves, I’m not so sure they’re the abject disasters that some on here believe them to be.

      Also, while I like JH, and appreciate what he did for the 49ers, it is undeniable that there were serious systemic problems with the offense that were never effectively dealt with in his four years with the 49ers.

      By all accounts, the 49ers under Harbaugh used play calls that were cumbersome and often didn’t get to CK in a timely manner.

      It makes me wonder, did the lack of time at the line of scrimmage and the distraction / pressure getting plays called and snapped without incurring delay penalties / using timeouts possibly cause CK to not be able to make complete pre-snap reads? If so, did this compound the difficulty of making post snap reads?

      I realize that there is no way to know if CK was adversely effected by a shortened play clock, but one thing I do know is that the 49ers constantly were getting out of the huddle late. Contrast that with Peyton Manning, for instance. It seems to me he mostly gets the Broncos to the line of scrimmage fairly early in the play clock and has plenty of time to look at the defense. It seems like this would make both pre and post snap reads easier.

      Like I said, JH did a lot of good for the 49ers, but this feels a little like a dead person being granted sainthood upon their passing.

      1. ex,

        I agree with you that Harbaugh was not infallible, but he got a lot out of what he had and we can’t argue with the winning percentage; at least over the first three seasons.

        The playcalling issue has been a problem going back to Jimmy Raye. I don’t know why they couldn’t figure out a better way the past couple of years, but it was a problem when Harbaugh took over and continued to be a problem throughout his tenure. It should improve if only because the play call is going to go directly from Chryst to Kap.

        As to how it affected Kap, there is no question that he was unable to look at the defense and/or get his shifts and motions completed within the time he had at the break of the huddle far too often.

      2. Ex:

        That’s a good point about the amount of time Kaep had to go through his pre-snap reads. It seemed like there was a small improvement in getting the plays in earlier last year. However, it did cost us the SB (the play where Harbaugh called timeout just a fraction of a second before Kaep snapped the ball and would have ran it into the endzone) and frankly, I can understand that the FO was pissed off that this issue was never really fixed.

        Like Rocket I’ve been saying that the plays should get in quicker with the HC (Tomsula) presumably not in the loop. But it might go from Chryst to Logan to Kaep instead of from Chryst directly to Kaep.

  48. ‘Coaching matters. If it didn’t Singletary would have had more success than he did.’
    .
    .
    Thank you, rocket!
    .
    If you ask me, the two sentences ^above^ sum up everything perfectly.
    .
    Could’ve saved yourself some keyboard work.
    .
    Great post!
    .
    .
    .
    ~ALOHA~

    1. Comparing Tomsula to Singletary is disingenuous. Singletary had 5 1/2 years of coaching experience, all with LB’s when he became head coach. Tomsula has about 20 in a variety of roles.

      1. The comparison was more about the lack of Coaching ties around the league and the issues with putting together a Coaching staff. Tomsula has more Coaching experience, the problem is most of it came at a small College and NFL Europe. In NFL years Singletary wasn’t too far behind.

          1. Sure, but being a HC in the NFL is very different and requires more than a few years in the league as a position Coach. I don’t think there is a history of this type of hire working out very well.

            1. Mike Tomlin had 1 season as a coordinator before becoming the Steelers HC and going to 2 Super Bowls in 3 years.

              Tomsula has coordinator experience and HC experience.

              Media obligations is really the only part of the job Tomsula doesn’t have experience with.

              1. He took over a team one year removed from winning a SB. There are also very few stories like his that work out successfully. Most successful HC hires involve guys with NFL coordinator experience and quite often on their 2nd or 3rd HC job.

                Tomsula has little experience in any of these areas and none at the NFL level. I also read an article a little while back that talked about the poor results Dline Coaches have had historically when promoted to HC.

                The odds aren’t in his favor. Let’s just leave it at that.

              2. “He took over a team one year removed from winning a SB.”

                Yes, and they were 8-8 the season before he took over.

                Tomsula is taking over a team one year removed from a run of at least 3 straight conference title games and an 8-8 record the season before taking over.

                I get it, you choose to dismiss the experience gained at levels outside the NFL.

              3. I don’t dismiss it, I just don’t put the level of credibility on it that you do. NFL experience, especially at the coordinator level is the biggest factor in having success as an NFL HC.

              4. And yes I realize Harbaugh didn’t fit that criteria. He did it a different way, but had a lot of experience as a HC by the time he got to SF.

              5. Thanks for the link. I had read that before. Again, there seems to be too much focus on just NFL experience.

                Of the 8 coaches mentioned, only 1 had been anything more than a position coach at any level they worked at.

                I get NFLE isn’t the NFL, but the skills needed to be a coordinator/HC easily translate to the the same position in the NFL.

                I value diversity in hiring. I did while coaching and now in business, and it’s always served me well. I guess that’s why I don’t minimize those experiences in this situation. And that extends past just the Tomsula hire.

              6. Jack,

                I realize anything is possible, and sure any experience is better than no experience, but the fact remains the odds of this working out favorably aren’t high. I hope Tomsula beats the odds, I really do, I just don’t have a lot of confidence in that happening.

              7. I don’t see many examples of guys stepping into this position with a roster as talented as the 49ers have. That plays a role in me not giving those odds a lot of value.

                Maybe I should.

              8. Nah stick with your convictions. Somebody has to remain optimistic around here and the roster is a check on the plus side no doubt.

  49. Kinda reminds of how much Marv Levy sucked too.
    .
    I mean, who loses four SBs in a row?
    .
    Oh yeah, a guy that REACHED four SBs in a row.
    .
    .
    .
    ~ALOHA~

  50. I was’nt happy with the Tomsula hiring. I’m pretty ambivalent about the rest of the staff but unlike many here i’m willing to admit I really do’nt have the expertise to judge NFL coaching talent. For that reason i’m willing to give Tomsula and his staff a chance. I’m not ready to throw in the towel on next season yet. For those of you who are good luck and enjoy yourself.

    1. Nobody’s throwing in the towel from what I’ve seen oldcoach. There’s a lot of negativity right now, myself included, but nobody is throwing in the towel.

      We may not be experienced in hiring NFL Coaches, but we can look at the resumes and judge them against others. When I do that, it becomes quite clear we do not have a high caliber Coaching staff in terms of results at this level. Could that change? Of course, anything is possible, but only the most optimistic 49er fans can find the ability to believe that because all the evidence states that this is not going to go well.

      1. Rocket i’m not saying i believe in this staff, what i’m saying is i’m willing to give them a fair chance. Maybe you are not throwing in the towel but there are others who are. Lots of predictions of long term down turns or big time losing seasons next year.

        1. Lots of predictions of long term down turns or big time losing seasons next year.

          That doesn’t mean that we’re aren’t willing to give the new staff a chance Coach. It just means that we don’t see this circus created by Baalrk ending well.

        2. I agree Old Coach. A lot of people have already written this off as a terrible coaching staff. I don’t have the expertise to know that for sure. I may not be encouraged by the staff hirings, but certainly willing to let them have their chance and see how they go.

          1. A lot of people smarter than us apparently understand the genius of the YorkBaalkSula plan, and speaking for myself, it’d be much appreciated if they would take the time to explain it to me….

          2. Scooter,
            My biggest contention is with the FO.
            I’m still having doubts if they had the teams best interest at heart, or if the cost cutting purge was just the tip of the iceberg.

            Obviously I want the current coaching to succeed but hoping that this coaching staff will have sustainability for the immediate and long-term is a big leap of faith for me.
            But like everyone that has vented their opinion thus far, I’ll be watching intently on Sundays.

      2. rocket ..

        methinks you posted what many of are thinkin’ …

        (you just are more eloquent than most of us) .. :-}

        1. MW,

          Thanks. I try to be as balanced as I can, but it probably doesn’t always come off that way.

    2. I’m not happy about the roster purge. I have and will talk about it.

      But I like alot of the new staff. The new TE and O-line coaches are solid. Logan’s an intriguing choice with lots of footage of his coaching ideas.

      It sounds like I’m contradicting myself… but I’m saying 11-5 with late post season run in 2015. Even if the 49ers lose key FAs, the depth on this roster is unmatched. The 49ers should be a dangerous team by the end of 2015.

      1. Brodie i wish i was as positive as you but I sure and the hell hope you are right. I’m looking foreward to the draft and the first OTA’s. If my memory serves me correctly because we had a coaching change we get an extra mini camp and get to open camp earlier.

        1. I heard something like that too. And remember, along with the new picks, red shirts Thomas, Reaser, Acker, and Millard will be starting their first camp.

      2. Brodie,

        The one Coaching hire I am definitely pleased with is Sparano as TE’s Coach. Good guy to have on staff no matter what position he is Coaching.

        1. I like that. I like Tarver too.

          Logan will either shine, turning CK into a monster… or he will b one-and-done.

      3. Brodie – you seem to be all over the place. I could have sworn you Mr. Negative up until about 58 mins ago.

        1. I’m Mr. Negative on the coaching staff purge and following events. I never said anything about the long term roster or what I thought the 2015 win-loss would be.

          Negative: Defensive coaching staff purge. Haphazard coaching search. The fact that many coaches around the league refuse promotions to join the 49ers.

          Positive: Long term roster depth. Tomsula’s unique ability to lead, teach and motivate. Baalke’s ability to find talent. The multiple talented red shirt NFIs ready for camp. I like the old coaching staff better, but the new one has some good components.

          Summary: By season’s end the 49ers only 3 starters left on defense and tons of key injuries on offense too. (Notice how we got the old 49ers back when Davis returned to RT?) Most teams would have collapsed, yet the 49ers went 8-8 in the toughest division in football. Part of that was Fangio and the gang, but part of that was the great roster depth.

          All the 49er have to do is stay relatively healthy, with CK playing 2012 level or better. If so I expect them to explode on the league.

          11-5, late post season run.

      4. I guess I’ll take a crack at responding to Rocket’s post. A lot of good points and I share a lot of Rocket’s concerns. Scooter, Brodie, UnderCenter, George to name a few have noted a few positives. I do think it is a positive that they apparently will not be changing the playbook much, i.e. no transition for Kaep. I also expect that we will no longer have issues with getting the play off in time (I don’t expect Tomsula to be involved in transmitting the play from the sideline to the field). I’m glad they are bringing back Gamble because I’ve complained many times about the lack of football experience in the front office.

        I am also a realist in virtually everything I do. I think this situation is not optimal, but it’s not dismal either. In this case I choose to be more on the side of optimism. It’s a personal choice of course. I’d like to see how things go with free agency, the draft, offseason player problems.

    3. OC, I am relatively optimistic for a few reasons. First, the bar Roman set as offensive coordinator is not all that high. These people might do worse, of course, but we don’t know that now, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Also, I expect both better oline plan and QB play, as well as help from free agency and the draft. This is my theory and it will take about the first five games of the season to prove it or not. Actually I’m more concerned about the defense. It will really be hard to repeat as top 5. One reason is that McDonald is gone. I think that was a big loss. Another is that Aldon Smith might get himself into trouble again. You never know about something like that. And then there’s the new scheme that everyone is saying Mangini will implement. Who knows if it will be the right fit for our current players? We know the Fangio scheme was.

        1. Hey, man, you can’t predict the future. You can guess, and every fence has two sides. I’d rather be up than down.

    4. Don’t worry, the York family has only made one good coaching hire.

      As for throwing in the towel, I only recall one guy saying he was done with the 49ers for good. If the team is fighting for home field advantage throughout the playoffs next December 1st, then you will feel good that you never doubted ownership. I will feel delighted that there will be more exciting football in January. If, on the other hand, they are fighting to stay out of last place in the NFCW next December 1st you “may” feel disappointed. I’ll probably just be happy to look forward following them for another year.

      I’ll be commenting about ownership regardless. It’s been quite a while since Eddie’s name has come up. It’s possible he has made some private comments about what he might call penny pinching ownership policies.

      1. Hehehe…he probably also declared “Win the West”, soon after he inked his deal.
        Mike Nolan of course was handpicked by none other than Pa, Junior and Paraag. He probably told them what they needed to hear, and yes, he had pedigree. Neicy and the Yorks loved ole Mike.
        After a ride up the coaching totem pole, he is now back to where he started.
        It is a cautionary tale…..

  51. Rocket keep up the good work. Wondering if Jed had a do over if he’d make Tomsula DC and Geep HC.

  52. Rocket rocks, no doubt.

    Anyone who thinks the new coaching staff is worth more than a dog turd in a forest of bears is bonkers.

    The team will go 9-7 in 2015 just on residual talent. 2016 will be more like 4-12 and it will continue on and on.

    Being a fan is one thing; supporting the Yorks is entirely another.

    You want to have some interesting reading? Google DeBartolo Mafia and check it out. Might shed some light on how the league and the other owners view the team.

    I’m not too interested in anything about the SC Niners as long as they current ownership is in place.

    1. Ghost so if i understand you right you are no longer a 49er fan? If so do us all a favor do’nt come back when they are winning again. If you do’nt stick with your team through the bad times you are not a fan. I’m not saying you have to agree with or support ownership but you have to stick with your team. imho

      1. Ghost …

        I’ve been a Niner fan since John Brodie .. and
        I proudly wore my jerseys (even) during
        the “Dr. York” years ! …

        I’ll always stick by my team .. but
        by the same token …
        I reserve the right to view “Silver Spoon”
        and Borkles the Clown as ..

        Dumb and Dumber !

      2. I’ve been a fan since I lived in the Hashbury in the ’60s and traded a guard weed so I could sneak in. I love the SAN FANCISCO 49ers. Great blue collar team.

        They no longer exist. You guys need to understand that. That team disappeared when the Yorks took over. I could never afford to go to a game and the stadium creeps me out.

        As far as a fair weather fan, I dunno. I blew off the Raiders when the bolted to L.A. even though I met Marv Hubbard and a Raiderette one cold winter day in Mendocino. Talk about being star struck….-L- I still refuse to root for them.

        There is a difference between being a fan and a groupie. At this point, I think anyone who puts up with what is going on with the team and accepts it with unconditional support is a bit of the latter. YMMV and no problem.

      3. What makes you think he will go away until they win a Superbowl? I say he stays right here just for the chance to be angry.

    1. How could this happen Hammer? Isn’t Baalke an ego-maniac that believes he can do it all himself? Didn’t Trent get York’s memo that they were trying to avoid superfluous hires?

      1. Good times Scooter. Folks like this hire even though he was pulled from the scrap pile. Go figure.

        1. How do you know this isn’t a move by York in case he has to clean house and Tommy is his insurance policy for GM?

          1. Would be an interesting move by Baalke to reach out to Gamble in Mobile to offer him a job as his successor if he fails.

            1. I don’t believe it’s out of the question that York ordered Baalke to hire him. It was reported that Gase was Baalkes’ guy and the deal was nixed by York at the midnight hour….

              1. Why would Baalke put up with that? As much as people like to moan about him, he wouldn’t have any trouble getting a job somewhere else.

                And that would seem to fly in the face of the idea that Baalke is the one pulling the strings.

              2. Baalke wouldn’t have any trouble getting a job somewhere else, but if this all goes South, you can rest assured he’ll be doing just that. The fly in your ointment that Baalke is the puppet master, is this golden nugget between the two at YorkBaalkSulas’ press conference for dummies, Baalke, “….and that starts with me”. York corrects him, “It starts with me.” Baalke acquiesced, “Yeah, it starts with you.”

              3. So razor, you are saying that York is the one the pulling the strings, and Baalke is just his puppet?

              4. Marionettes, or “string puppets,” are suspended and controlled by a number of strings, and a central rod attached to a control bar held from above. I’d equate Baalke to the control bar that is below York….

              5. Marionettes, or “string puppets,” are suspended and controlled by a number of strings, and a central rod attached to a control bar held from above. I’d equate Baalke to the control bar that is below York….

        2. Jack, when the new Jim got hired, I said that he doesn’t know enough people (from outside the 49ers) to find a good OC and DC. You remarked that I didn’t know that.
          Do you think we know now?

      2. Misguided sarcasm, Mr. Scooter.
        .
        I think even the naysayers, me among them, consider Jed to be the egomaniac, not so much Baalke.
        .
        Baalke’s problem, in my humble opinion, is that he feels that the roster he puts together, which fits the scheme he feels the team should be utilizing, is solely responsible for the team’s success and the former coaching staff is responsible for its lack of a Lombardi trophy.
        .
        I wouldn’t necessarily call that egotism, I’d call a philosophical difference.
        .
        Of course, he has knowledge of the game none of us will ever possess so his opinions will always matter where ours won’t.
        .
        But without knowing exactly what all those involved know and don’t know, we can only comment on what we see.
        .
        I think we’ll be reading more and comments in the coming days that echo Dick Vermeil’s.
        .
        The Gamble hire was a good one…for the personel department.
        .
        Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall anyone here criticizing the personel department or any recent moves.
        .
        This is strictly about their choices for the new coaching staff.
        .
        Questionable moves have been made there and guys, me among them, are just voicing their displeasure.
        .
        This is how I saw things go down:
        .
        They had a top staff…not the greatest ever…but a top staff.
        .
        They didn’t like Harbaugh’s style or Roman’s offense and may it clear that it was their way or the highway.
        .
        Harbaugh took the highway to Ann Arbor–Roman to Buffalo, where they were welcomed with open arms.
        .
        They had a top 5 defense run by a seasoned, well-respected DC in Fangio who wanted the HC job and who many players wanted as their new HC.
        .
        They didn’t want Fangio as much as Fangio wanted them and he bolted because, like an idiot, he didn’t want to work under one of his subordinates who doesn’t have a fraction of the knowledge he posseses.
        .
        Tomsula apparently has whatever it is that they want in a HC so they promoted him.
        .
        They were reported to have had interest in some very good candidates for different positions on both sides of the ball and interviewed some very good candidates for those postions.
        .
        None of the very good candidates panned out.
        .
        They had some second-tier candidates in too.
        .
        Ultimately, they settled for what they could get.
        .
        You may disagree with some or all of that, but that’s the way I, and several other fans, see it.
        .
        Apart form the NFLE guys and Foerster and Tarver having 49ers roots, most of this staff hasn’t worked togther in their current capacity.
        .
        Now I’m all for being optomistic…but I also believe in being realistic.
        .
        As it stands right now, these were not good moves on the part of the 49ers organization and again, I think we’ll be hearing alot more Vermeil-esque comments in the coming days and weeks.
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

        1. Trust me Kauai, there has been plenty of people commenting about Baalke and his ego, and that he is the puppet master orchestrating the moves.

        2. Kauai Robert

          In my opinion, getting rid of Harbaugh got rid of the biggest EGO ….we haven’t yet seen if the new coaching staff has been muzzled , as was the old one by JH. I’m guessing that a more humble, work-like, atmosphere will be seen in the new staff. As for the previous QB coach’s noted lack of success, “you can’t make chicken soup with…” you know the rest….

          1. I disagree.
            .
            I don’t see Harbaugh as an egomaniac at all.
            .
            I see a guy that eats, sleeps and breathes football.
            .
            He knows how to win and he knows he knows how to win.
            .
            I don’t interpret that as a guy being self-important.
            .
            He knows what he knows and he knows what he doesn’t know.
            .
            He has his own philosophy, just as Baalke does.
            .
            He has tunnel vision as it pertains to his approach to the game.
            ..
            Now, such a trait would and should be a problem for a coach who doesn’t win.
            .
            But Harbaugh won, and won alot.
            .
            And he’ll keep winning wherever he goes BECAUSE he’s a guy that eats, sleeps and breathes football.
            .
            .
            .
            ~ALOHA~

        1. George I liked Charlie Chan when I was a kid. You are right that we agree on a lot. Maybe it’s just that I’ve been through so many “hope” situations, that I have a feel for how often they tend to pan out. I was hopeful when Eddie bought the team and brought in his dad’s friend Joe Thomas. The 49ers were a solid team going into that “hopeful” situation.

          1. htwaits, do you mind being called Yoda? Just easier to write.

            I’m trying to be realistic about this.
            1. As far as replacing Harbaugh as HC, Harbaugh was the glue, the figurehead, and I think Tomsula will fill that role well, not better but well. I don’t think the players will be less loyal to Tomsula, and while Harbaugh’s strength was with the offense, I can’t see how that really helped, do you?
            2. With the defense, I think the coaches will have a hard time equalling the combination of Fangio, Tomsula as the DL coach, and Donatell. The players will be healthier (we hope), but there will be a new scheme and no McDonald. Notice how the pass rush fell off without him. There will also be no Brooks, you would assume, and that hurts. Also, the defensive line could drop off because of no Tomsula to coach/motivate them. I’m more concerned about that than I am the offense. I like Mangini, but it’s still going to be hard to repeat at #4, much less rank higher.
            3. The offense is a source of optimism for me because of the low bar established last year and also because the oline and QB underachieved. The oline was affected by the holdouts and injury, and presumably this year will be better, especially with a new coach in Foerster. You know the story with Kaepernick. I expect an improvement.

            I would not be surprised to see them second in the division. If Kaepernick is better, they have a chance of beating Seattle.

            1. As an aside George every time I read your comments .I hear them in Telly’s voice- what a hoot!

      1. Agreed.
        .
        And, while never a discourteous or vulgar man, he always speaks his mind regardless of who’s listening.
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

    1. The person whose opinion I care about the most is my wife’s, and she’s out of town, so this has been a good week.

  53. I didn’t want Harbaugh gone, but I figured that if losing Harbaugh was the price for replacing Roman, I’d take it.

    I’m definitely filing that under “be careful what you wish for”.

    I’ll wait to see how free agency and the draft shake out before I get too negative; lots of talent still on the team, and I’m still hoping this coaching staff could surprise us.

    At least this year, my long suffering fandom of the Warriors is finally paying off. Will give me something to be excited about and cheer for over the next few months.

    Let’s hope this coaching change is more like Jackson->Kerr than Mariucci->Erickson.

    1. Euclidite, I hear what you’re saying. Since he was fired, it’s all been love for Harbaugh. Before it, though, there were complaints by many fans and the media, mostly about the red zone offense, dumb plays by Kaepernick, delays of game, clock management, not using certain players, maybe some other things. I’m sure you remember that. The truth is, if we were going to get a new OC, it was going to be over Harbaugh’s dead body. Well, now we have one, at considerable collateral damage by Dickhead. So let’s see what happens.

        1. Razor you kill me ol’ friend ,up front, pissed,not afraid to put it out there.Cranky old marine hats off !

      1. Ahh, therein lies the genius of Jed York. He has managed to transform a good coach but one who was by many accounts to be a PITA and unable to improve upon glaring deficiencies into St. Jimmy.
        Jed could have taken the high road and “mutually parted” with Harbaugh in Jan 2014. No leaks, no tweets, just a bold executive decision. But then there were SBLs to sell, and two years remaining on Harbaugh’s contract.

        1. I think that PITA transformed himself into St. Jimmy whilst transforming a perennial losing team into a SB contender.
          .
          That said, you’re absolutley right where Jed is concerned.
          .
          The same goes for Trent.
          .
          Harbaugh, for all of his faults, was done dirty.
          .
          Our loss is Michigan’s gain.
          .
          .
          .
          ~ALOHA~

        2. skeptic:

          I agree completely. Maybe that’s because I wrote something similar several days age. And, as we know know, Jed had the three key elements of a new staff already on board.

  54. The problem with the new coaches is that they’ll be in the hot seat from day one.
    That isn’t a good place to be to rebuild a team that has some serious problems

  55. Man this team is going to suck. They just went right back to futility. This never would have happened if they stuck with Alex because we would have at least one SB!

    That was a joke people. Settle down.

      1. As he should.
        .
        Joe IS the 49ers.
        .
        I wish he was more part of the team.
        .
        But who could blame him for not wanting to be…
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

  56. There is an old saying “beware what you wish for….”

    Well, I know I never wished Harbaugh gone so I don’t feel responsible for the HC position but I may, just may, have at one time thought “Greg, that was a poor call” I stress ‘thought’ I know I never said it out loud because I watch Niners games alone.

    Was that sooooo bad to do this to us all?????????????

    1. There you are in the land of smiles and you put a first class curse on Harbaugh. Admit it, you wished that Harbaugh would fire Roman. Many life times will pass before you work this one out. During those many life times you will probably have to watch endless reruns of the 1977 and 1978 seasons. Mai pen rai.

  57. Great posts today, especially Rocket’s piece.
    These are indeed dark times my brothers.

    The therapy bills I’ve run up since the nightmare that was the NFCCG are staggering. Wish I’d never watched.
    The only remedy I can hope for that might chase some of these clouds away is a big Seahawks loss on Sunday. I have no love for New England either. I’d root for the Dusseldorf Stormtroopers if they were playing the Seahawks.
    Either way though, so sad to have been a popular favorite to return to the Super Bowl and end up 3rd in our division.
    Horrible year.
    One to forget as soon as possible.

    1. No but you can boo both teams. Steve Young and Joe Montana seem to be rooting for Tom Brady.

      1. For me it’s like watching Dallas play Dallas. One of them is going to disappoint Jerry Jones.

        1. Gotta admit…although I was sick of N.E. all long time ago…as a football fan first…I’ve always loved watching Brady play.
          .
          Nobody navigates a pocket better.
          .
          You can’t teach that.
          .
          .
          .
          ~ALOHA~

  58. Mark Kreidler @MarkKreidler · 2h 2 hours ago
    Jake Plummer with us right now, singing the praises of Geep Chryst: “I think it’s a smart hire. Even more reason to root for the #49ers.”

  59. I’m betting it’s going to be the same come Free Agency as it was for the coaches….

    1. Baalke always waits the the bottom third so it might not make much of a difference. It’s sure a possibility.

    2. That could well be an issue razor. If free agents don’t believe the 49ers are a contender, they will be a far less attractive team to join.

      1. Balke builds teams through the draft. He does not spend in free agency anyway.. This will not affect our strategy at all. Getting gamble on board is also big for the draft.. Two good minds working together. Balke typically identifies free agents on the cheap who can be successful with context to our team i.e Dorsey, cox, skuta, cooks, Rodgers etc….

    3. Free Agency will likely be the same as it has the last 4 years, especially with their cap situation.

  60. Things I will be looking at with the new staff.

    1. Speed, do they understand it and do they no how to use it?
    2. Timeouts
    3. Play calling
    4. Red flag
    5. In game adjustments
    6. Ability to motivate

    All but number six I felt Harbaugh had a problem with.

    1. Remember when jed hired singletary in the locker room as a knee jerk hire and then regretted it. A wise man would have learned that his thought process of hiring was wrong and not just the appearance of how he did it.

      Jed is a smart guy. He learned that the appearance of incompetence can hurt him. He worked really hard to not appear incompetent this time. But used the same incompetent logic to hire his coach.

      Wisdom is fleeting to many. Especially to those you feel they have grasped it.

      1. “Jed is a smart guy. He learned that the appearance of incompetence can hurt him.”

        That is the reason for the masquerade of due diligence.

  61. Earlier today Mood Indigo posted a video by Steve Logan on hot reads off of the 5 step drop. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend that you watch it.

    Below is a link to a video called Coaching 101: Post-huddle adjustments. Logan talks about the zone read and what DCs have done to stop it. He also discusses a new adjustment that Chip Kelly has introduced to beat a particular defensive adjustment on the zone read. It’s really interesting and Logan is an excellent chalkboard presenter.

    http://www.wralsportsfan.com/coaching-101-post-huddle-adjustments/14234764/

      1. Another very good presentation. I’m really starting to like this guy. At the beginning of this video he basically says that the QB is at fault for sacks. Don’t blame the OL or anyone else, because the QB can throw it away at any time. Even though he might be exaggerating a bit, I like this attitude. CK definitely needs to learn to throw the ball away when necessary and live to fight another play.

      1. Yeah, you beat me posting this. At about the 8:40 mark he talks about the huge advantage for a new coaching staff in that essentially the same playbook will be used. No learning a new playbook or language for the players.

        At the 15:00 mark he talks about the adjustments that the Broncos should have made against Seattle during the SB last year.

      2. Really good stuff. I’m really liking this guy. Seems like a very good fit for Kap. Seems to be saying everything all of us have been saying for quite some time.

        What do u think Jack?

    1. Okay, one last one. This is Coaching 101: Free Play. The example Logan uses is the NFCCG between the Seahags and the 49ers. He says that this is the play in the 4th Qtr that won the game for the Seachickens (Grrrr). Although I think we all know what a free play is, there are a couple of interesting technical points regarding execution that he mentions.

  62. I think this coaching staff had better win these players over quickly with their plan. A few offensive players are already questioning the motives of these hires. The potential for this to spread throughout the locker room is real. Worth keeping an eye on early….

    1. Not wrong. The player’s perception of the coaching staff is a legitimate concern. Tomsula and co will need to have a strong plan of attack in place for when offseason activities commence.

    2. “A few offensive players are already questioning the motives of these hires.”

      Like who?

      1. Apparently, Jason Cole mentioned this during a segment over on Bleacher Report. He did not mention names but mentioned that it was 2 offensive players and 1 defensive player.

      2. The names in the report were not made available, but if had to venture a guess- Anthony Davis, Vernon Davis, and perhaps Alex Boone. Can you answer my question regarding Mr. Gamble now?

            1. Let’s hope his assistance provides better results than the last 49ers draft he was a part of.

              1. Razor,

                I don’t think they even think about setting a draft board until after the combine and workouts are over.

              2. Personnel staffs gather from late January until the start of the Combine to focus like a laser toward the assembly of The Board. While there are surprise performances at every Combine and pro day, those performances merely adjust, not re-write, evaluations prepared in the thousands of man-hours teams have already allocated to the process….

        1. Vernon was vocal in his support of TE oriented Chudzinski. He could be hurting a bit now that he’s staying with the Colts.

        2. Wasn’t Boone one of the first to go public with his positive comments of Tomsula?

          Though Vernon talks a lot, I think he would be one glad to see Roman go. But the other Davis I’m not so sure about.

  63. OK, so the dust has settled. I think we will be OK if baalke Hits For The Cycle IN THE Draft. The one thing we do have going for us continuity on offense. Same playbook and that’s better what Alex smith had to deal with. No draft a 7 door TE and I’ll be happy.

  64. The plan is to retain the play book. They are plugging in pieces to do that. I have huge issue with Harbaugh’s departure, but the smart thing to do is retain that playbook. For you veteran fans remember what it was like when Walsh left. Seifert was a DC, unlike Tomsula but I remember the flak about that. I see Eddies fingerprint in all of this. They are pretty much doing the same thing now. Got a system and plug in the coaches and players that fit the system. To make it go is going to be the play caller, the talent is there. Nothing to worry about – yet.

    I think Harbaugh got screwed.

    1. What was the “flack” about Seifert in 1989. My memory is drawing a blank.

      I do remember a 14 – 2 regular season, and outscoring the opposition in the playoffs and Superbowl by 100 points. Was their a lot of concern that they had picked the wrong guy to replace Walsh? I always liked Seifert so maybe I blocked it out.

      1. Seifert’s lack of head coaching experience and how he was 6-18 in the little that he had at Westminster and Cornell.

        1. … and his three, later to be five Superbowl rings. He sort of knew how to stay out of the offense and he certainly knew how to run the defense.

          1. You asked why some were questioning the hire so I answered. I was busy playing ball and going to college at the time but I remember some of those sports talk callers.

            Sounds familiar lately.

            1. Sports talk callers and blog posters do have a group that’s pretty consistent in what they complain about.

              What I remember most clearly was Seifert’s story about his wife stopping him in the Denver airport on his way to an interview with a message to come back.

              “George they want to talk to you.”

              “And George, don’t screw it up.”

        2. Seifert had been with Walsh for a long time by that point and was hand picked by Walsh to be his successor. It’s kind of strange they didn’t go with Holmgren considering he was the closest thing to Walsh, but it worked out ok.

          1. I shouldn’t say it was strange they didn’t go with Holmgren as he didn’t have a ton of experience at that point, but not going with an offensive minded HC after Walsh was unexpected, at least to me.

  65. There’s nothing to do now until free agency and the draft are completed. I’m still predicting this will shoot for a 4 – 0 record in preseason.

  66. For twenty plus years the only coaches who would work for Al Davis were either very young guys who saw an opportunity for a fast track or older coaches fired more then once or simply those with very few or no other options. Folks … welcome the new Al … MISTER Baalke (who is making the same lousy draft choices as Al did too.) And don’t expect any prio free agents to choose the 49ers either.

      1. They’ve already had some games there. The Quakes have a new soccer only stadium and I’d guess the Sacramento team would play in the same stadium they used back when they had a WLAF team.

      2. Jack I was being a little flip ,not a you,given the rumblings of some of the season ticket holders about the stadium and the FO one could imagine a plan b for young Jed if things(God forbide the 49ers) went south.

          1. I couldn’t care less. I just find it interesting how some like this hire but hate others.

            It’s a guy who’s last draft here yielded almost nothing, and was just fired.

            1. I just find it interesting how some like this hire but hate others.

              Don’t tell anyone, but Gamble has a better track record than most of the new hires. Ssshhhh….

              1. He does? How so? He’s never been the GM, been the guy responsible for running a team and making decisions. How would we even know if he’s any good, aside from hearsay?

                FWIW, I really like the hire. Any time you add someone with his experience to the player personnel department it is a good thing.

              2. Very encouraging, MidWest ..

                could be if Baalke tanks it this year…
                Jedi might .. come to his senses
                u-hhhh … miraculously gain some cosmic wisdom … and mutually agree
                to “allow” him to find some “greener pastures”
                (elsewhere) .. and Gamble will be there to pick
                up the slack ..

                … u-hhh .. fagetabouit

                ain’t gonna happen..
                Silver Spoon has too big of a man-crush on Baalke

            2. Jack, do you know which draft picks were made in 2012 by Baalke, but primarily based on input from Gamble? Is Gamble, in your mind responsible for the two little guys?

            3. This is not a Coaching hire number one. It is also bringing back a man who has a lot of prior experience in the Personnel dept and knows what the team likes. I like the hire because it brings a well respected smart individual back into the fold.

              His firing in Philly happened because Kelly wanted more power over Personnel. Howie Roseman also got kicked upstairs into another title. I don’t think it has much to do with performance.

  67. Does anyone know if Marathe has been in the booth with the coaches during Harbaugh’s time with the 49ers? I remember him up there prior to Harbaugh.

    This is an old TK blog about Marathe in the booth, and how impossible it was to find out who the source of screw ups might be.

    “But the 49ers’ blathering, foppish inability to explain why things so regularly get botched from booth-to-field, and what role, if any, Marathe has in helping or hindering such actions is a microcosm of everything that is wrong.” … Kawakami

    http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2008/11/16/nfl-sunday-party-and-why-paraag-marathe-matter/#at_pco=smlrebv-1.0&at_si=54cb1ee6b6f81e96&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=5

    I do remember, because it’s fresh, that a lot of unexplained things got botched coming from the booth the past four years.

    1. Young repeatedly said he’s worried about the team’s future, its perception around the NFL, and is unsure about the franchise’s identity.

      “If a defensive line coach is gonna be our head coach, who are we? Who are we as the 49ers? What are we gonna be?”

      1. Expect more of the same from guys around the league in the coming days and weeks.
        .
        Obviously, these moves are not being looked upon fondly.
        .
        Apart from certain guys having said positive things about a couple of the individual coaches–that’s to be expected; they’re certainly not unemployable–we have yet to hear a single person say anything positive about the entirety of the coaching purge.
        .
        Coaches and other football guys around the NFL and college may not have the warmest feelings for Harbaugh, which would be totally understandable…he’s not a warm and fuzzy type of guy.
        .
        But I guarantee that they respect the hell out of him and they do know when one of their own has gotten the shaft.
        .
        Common sense tells us that they’d be cautious in dealing with the guy(s) who did the shafting.
        .
        .
        .
        ~ALOHA~

    1. Nothing yet, but that’s a crucial hire imo. Fewell would have been nice. I would think at some point Mangini would start bringing in some of his own guys.

      Who were his DB coaches in NY and CLE?

    2. How about Seifert. He was a hell of a secondary coach back back in the day. Three rookies, and a cast off no one wanted or ever had wanted right into a Superbowl. Maybe not, fishing is too attractive.

    1. Irrespective of “York stressed during the interview that Harbaugh was not fired as head coach.” heads did roll. Privileged young man speak with forked tongue.

      It just took him around ten months to prepare the ground upon which he played “ten pins” with their heads.

    2. This is depressing reading. Why doesn’t this clown stop spewing this nonsense of winning superbowls every year and let the football people talk about the team?! Why does feel compelled to be the face of the franchise? Why doesn’t he learn from the Maras and Krafts about owning a franchise instead of Jones and Snyders? Aaargghhh.

  68. I’m convinced if the 49ers had rehired Jimmy Raye this offseason, some fans would convince themselves that it was a good hire because now he wouldn’t be hampered by Singletary or something.

    1. No doubt about it. If you had told anyone a couple of months ago that this is the Coaching staff that would be in place there would have been hand wringing the likes of which we had never seen before.

      The leaks and rumors of Tomsula becoming HC were around for so long it became a foregone conclusion and most were resigned to it happening. Then as the search for an OC went on, we became resigned to the fact it was going to be Chryst. Accepting the inevitable is very different from welcoming it.

    2. That’s a perceptive observation.

      York seems to me to have been saying that even though Harbaugh planned his own departure, Jed was able to hold together the Harbaugh tradition of getting better every day and setting the players free to make plays. Oh, maybe that second part was a tiny criticism of Harbaugh.

      1. What York didn’t say is the he offered Jim Harbaugh a four year extension with a 20% raise up front including a big Superbowl bonus, and Jim still insisted on a mutual parting of their ways so that he could go back to college. He didn’t say that.

  69. A Tale of Two Quotes:

    “Defenses are not going to want to play against us because you’re not going to know where we’re going to hit you.” … York {today}

    “… we’re going to run the ball.” … Baalke {Tomsula’s introduction}

    1. As far as I know, there was no question for Jed to find out if he expects 49er opponents to play six men in the box because they are so confused about where the offense is going to hit them.

  70. The Crown Jewel:

    “What a lot of people don’t get is you have Geep as your O.C., you’ve got Eric as your D.C. – both guys that Jim Harbaugh hired,” York said. “I think that’s a testament to Jim Harbaugh that we are keeping a lot of continuity from his staff that had a lot of success.” … York

  71. CONAN: “Marshawn, what do you like to play?”
    MARSHAWN: “Mario Kart.”
    CONAN: “What do you like about Mario Kart?”
    MARSHAWN: “Toad. And I like driving.”
    CONAN: “You like driving?”
    MARSHAWN: “Yeah.”
    CONAN: “And you like to drive as Toad?”
    MARSHAWN: “Yeah.”
    CONAN: “And that’s you driving?”
    MARSHAWN: “Yeah.”
    CONAN: “You’re pretty intense when you drive.”
    MARSHAWN: “That’s how Toad do. I probably look more like Donkey Kong.”
    GRONK: “I’m Bowser and I just come right over and run over you.”
    MARSHAWN: “You gotta get a mushroom or a lightning bolt to make me little first.”
    GRONK: “I know, that’s what I be getting, them turtle shells”
    MARSHAWN: “See I get that little blimp — yanahimtalmbout? — that come out with that little whoop whoop, and I be smashing through (stuff) like soos…SOOS.”
    CONAN: “I don’t know what either one of you are talking about.”
    MARSHAWN: “Just know we got to go head to head, boss.”
    CONAN: “OK, you just crushed my shoulder. So who’s who?”
    GRONK: “Should we be chicks?”
    MARSHAWN: “We gon have the pearl fight?”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNpkSyryQz4

  72. Good hire. Chyrst should be awesome. Comes from a football family and a seasoned coordinator. He deserves a shot.

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