Who will run the 49ers’ offense?

Predict which coach will run the 49ers’ offense next season. I want a name.

This article has 311 Comments

  1. Mike Shanahan with an outside chance of Chip Kelly if what Cam posted in the previous thread comes to fruition.

    1. I am tired of all this talk about Mike Shanahan being the possible new 49er HC

      Just google Redskins sack Mike Shanahan |
      NBC4
      After an abysmal 3/13 season they fired him and he left with the millions still owed to him for his final year on his contract.I live in Washington be careful of what you wish for.

      1. The question was who do we think will run the offense not necessarily who do we WANT to run the offense.

      2. I like to think the 49ers were a much more talented team than the Redskins..Shanahan saw that up close in our meetings facing them in 2011and 2013…And as much as many mad 49er fans wanna compare Jed to Snydr…he isn’t..This team needs a better offensive coach..He’s better than that in every way vs Harbaugh…His knowledge,the game,the wisdom…

    2. I want the mike holmgren/or shanahan & lord fangio combo and not just for this year but as a perennial system that’ll pay homage to our illustrous WC bloodlines of x&o’s and adhere to the Lebeau/walshs coaching tree

      1. @ Uh huh……Uhhh uhhh

        I like the nostalgia of it, but Holmgren and Shannahan are both on the far side of the hill. If anything, hire them as consultants. Now that Chip Kelley is off the market, I like staying within the in-house guys, I say Jeep Chryst….with either Fangio at HC or remaining at DC

    3. With York and Baalke we can look forward to no Super Bowl and no improvement at quarterback untill we get a new one. Sorry for the lack of optimism.

  2. It will be interesting to see just what happens with ‘Chip’…though I don’t think that he’d fit with CK being unable to read his progressions.

  3. Who will run the 49ers offense? Someone that fits the Baalke/Parcells “win the middle” model. Why?

    – Baalke follows Parcells draft philosophy of choosing players that fit a certain type and personality. (except for 2012) Baalke will not change this.

    – Even if Iupati goes, the 49ers have massive draft capital invested in a Man Blocking Power offense. Just the opposite of Shanahan’s system.

    – Colin is better suited to play action passing then WCO (or any other timing based passing attack). The problem is there is no deep threat WR that fits Colin’s skills… and despite Colin’s cannon of an arm, he’s not very accurate over the top.

    – Rumor has it the 49ers are trying to retain Soliari. More evidence the 49ers are committed to their existing model.

    This doesn’t mean they will stick to (exactly) the same offense, with all the shifting, jumbos and time clock screwups… but the new offense will still be a power based on.

    The 49ers long term goal is a Power offense with a “man” blocking system. Staffed by two power RBs, a change of pace RB, a true fullback, a few good TEs, one possession WR, one slot WR, one deep threat WR.

    1. Rocket says Solari would change to a zone system if he was allowed.

      My comment “…the 49ers are trying to retain Soliari. More evidence the 49ers are committed to their existing model” is likely wrong.

      I wouldn’t cry if he 49ers involved more zone blocking. I’m sick of seeing O-linemen allow defenders to kill Gore in the backfield because they were obsessed with blocking a safety at the often praised “2nd level.”

    2. Baalke follows Parcells draft philosophy of choosing players that fit a certain type and personality.
      ———
      Sorry to nit-pik(it’s what I do) Brodie because you do tend to put a lot of thought into your posts but I believe most GM’s/Coaches have a draft philosophy of choosing players that fit a certain type and personality. The difference is in the types and personalities selected.

      1. That “certain type and personality” is towards big (relative to position) players.

        Baalke said in an interview Parcells taught him to draft towards a specific team personality and body type. Most clubs do this, but not to the same degree. Before drafts, Baalke frequently talks about players that fit what we (the 49ers) do, and has cited Parcells lesson as a model.

        My basic message… if the 49ers get a WCO or pass happy play caller, it will be a major departure from Baalke’s long term plan. I’d interpret any WCO/ pass happy coaching hire as a sign ownership unhappy with Baalke. I don’t think York is there (yet).

        That’s one reason I’m betting on a power oriented play caller.

    3. The niners should be able to move towards a zone blocking line without a ton of trouble. As I understand it- the blocking requires athletic lineman that can move laterally.

      Both tackles Staley and Anthony Davis could work with it, and if not- both are tradable. Iupati is already gone. Boone is very tradable. This team already will be loaded on the defensive side with all the returning players…. It seems like the niners could focus on much of their draft getting zone blocking offensive lineman- Add another WR and TE and the niners should look good.

      If any team could change up the line quickly- it is the niners.

    4. Action passing is the absolute STAPLE of Shanahan’s air attack. Smh at the lack of knowledge. Shanahan’s passing game is one Kap is ideally suited to. Now the zone blocking scheme, thst might not be good for our personnel, but he DID run man blocking in San Francisco.

  4. The whole Chip Kelly rumours are very interesting. If rumours are true, it sounds like Kelly and Gamble made a power play and lost, and you’d have to assume the play was to put Gamble in as GM.

    Gamble was also rumoured to be tight with Harbaugh. I’m now starting to wonder if Gamble has a habit of inserting himself on the HC’s side as part of a plan to manoeuvre himself into more powerful positions. I’m also now questioning why he took the lateral move to the Eagles – was Baalke questioning his motives behind the scenes at the 49ers?

    Also, if Chip Kelly wants out of the Eagles after failing in a power struggle, why on earth would he want to work with Baalke? And why would Baalke agree to bring him in? And I certainly can’t see Gamble being brought back into the fold.

    1. Scooter:

      Jed’s a young guy who is not yet highly regarded (and may never be), has made questionable moves and has alienated the fan base. If he brought in Chip Kelly, I think it would invigorate the fan base and continue to provide that stadium revenue stream he so covets. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told Baalke to “make it work”.

      Besides wouldn’t you like to know that the 49ers were doing everything they could to give us fans an exciting offense after years of suffering.

      1. Two things:

        1) If Jed hires a coach simply as a PR move to appease fans that are angry with the dismissal of Harbaugh, we really are in trouble and he really is as bad an owner as many people say.

        2) If Jed told Baalke to hire Chip Kelly and it wasn’t what Baalke wanted, I wouldn’t be surprised if Baalke asked to leave. He’d get a job elsewhere pretty quickly.

        1. With regards to item 2, I would say, who’s running the organization? If Baalke’s attitude is “my way or the highway”, then he probably won’t last long in any organization. He’s not the top dog. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jed is starting to flex his power (wrongly or rightly) with Harbaugh being the first casualty.

          Your point on item 1 is good and I should have made it clear that it would be a good side benefit of hiring Kelly. It’s more important that the hire be a good one, which I think it could be.

          1. Fair point, but Baalke’s role as GM is to run these types of searches. He’s the one with the most football knowledge, and the one that needs to work most closely with the HC. If Jed starts putting his foot down, going against Baalke’s recommendations, and undermining Baalke’s authority, why would he want to stay?

            1. I’m not sure Baalke would necessarily be against Kelly. We discussed earlier and you agreed that Baalke isn’t quite the tyrant many believe (i.e. his desire to hire Parcells even though Parcells would want power).

              1. I do. I agree Baalke isn’t the tyrant he’s made out to be, but I don’t think Kelly fits the type of HC Baalke is likely to be after, and tyrant or not, I don’t think he’d be keen to work with a HC that appears to be power hungry.

  5. As to the question of who will run the 49ers offense, I think it will very much depend on who the HC is.

    I see Shanahan being discussed a lot as a potential OC. I think there is some good logic being applied with regards to why the 49ers are meeting with him, but he’s renowned for running a zone blocking scheme. The 49ers OL isn’t really suited to such a scheme. Would he be a good fit for this offense?

    1. I see this was actually discussed in the previous blog entry, and rocket made some very good points regarding the 49ers ability to transition to a zone blocking scheme if the new OC wishes to install such a scheme.

      Will be interesting to see which way they go.

    1. Mangini? I assume he’s not your pick, but you’re at a point now where your discontentment with the organization leads you to believe they would actually let Mangini run the offense.

    2. Good guess. I like Chryst. I blathered on for about 12 paragraphs, but failed to come up with an actual name.

      1. Since you mentioned earlier that only science could determine Mangini’s role on the 49ers, I assume you now just automatically gloss over any sentence that includes the word Mangini in it :). Let’s look at his abysmal track record as the TE coach this last year, which track record I posted earlier today.

      1. The fact that Baalke and York brought in and interviewed DCs along with Fangio and Ryan first indicates to me that they want to maintain the defensive dominance the team has had since Fangio came to town. If they follow that track for the next coach, then it will significantly narrow down the list of candidates available to call the offense down to Roman, Mangini, Morton, Chryst, and Cameron. I can’t see Roman being allowed to continue to run the offense, and Morton is the least qualified of the bunch so I think he’s out of the running too. Meanwhile, Cameron wouldn’t come to the team unless Ryan signs on but I don’t see that happening because Ryan resembles Harbaugh too much. That leaves the unattractive yet possible candidates of Mangini and Chryst.

        1. If they bring a HC in from outside the organisation, I think it is highly doubtful an internal candidate is selected as OC. The new HC would most likely bring in their own person to run the offense.

          If an internal candidate is selected as HC, and they then promote an internal candidate as OC, Jed and Baalke will look foolish as all they would effectively be doing is running the same offense and defense but just getting rid of a HC that was successful. There would be no change to the football oriented “philosophical differences”.

          1. If they bring a HC in from outside the organisation, I think it is highly doubtful an internal candidate is selected as OC. The new HC would most likely bring in their own person to run the offense.

            It will probably depend on past connections or what Baalke and York are looking for.

            If an internal candidate is selected as HC, and they then promote an internal candidate as OC, Jed and Baalke will look foolish as all they would effectively be doing is running the same offense and defense but just getting rid of a HC that was successful.

            Neither you nor I can say that for sure Scooter. For instance, Chryst may have spent enough time with Kaep to know what type of effective offense to run that will play to Kaep’s strengths while continuing to help him develop and allow the OL to play to it’s strength in the run game. And Mangini could get the nod given his past experience on both sides of the ball which could help Kaep out in seeing the field better.

            1. I believe it is pretty rare for a HC to be brought in and made to hire his OC and DC from within the organisation without having a strong candidate and successful already in place.

              Cubus came up with some interesting facts about Chryst, but he’s a long time removed from play calling, and despite the positives in his bio if you dig deeper you’ll see his offenses ranked near the bottom of the league in his two years with the Chargers. Hiring him as the OC would be a Jimmy Raye move.

              As for Mangini, he was almost exclusively a defensive coach until the 49ers hired him. And this past year was his first actually coaching an offensive position (which performed terribly).

              1. That’s true. The 49ers “cherry picked” the stats on Chryst. The Chargers were 8-8 that year. Harbaugh completed 57.4% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His passer rating was 70.6 (Kurt Warner was 109.2).

                I guess what surprised me the most is that he had implemented a “no huddle” offense in SD that year.

              2. The key word is almost with Mangini.

                Mangini first caught the attention of Bill Belichick, under whom he would coach for nine seasons, as a 23-year-old ball boy with the Cleveland Browns. His work ethic impressed Belichick, and the head coach was instrumental in promoting Mangini to a public relations intern, and later, an offensive assistant.

                After spending 1996 as an offensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens, Mangini rejoined Belichick and spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the New York Jets. When Belichick was hired as the New England Patriots head coach in 2000, he brought along Mangini as his defensive backs coach. Mangini, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, turned down defensive coordinator positions with the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns before accepting the role with New England in 2005.

              3. Yep, he spent one year as an offensive assistant at the Ravens in 1996. Its an entry level position.

              4. Doesn’t change that he has experience on both sides of the ball no matter how limited it was.

              5. Yes, and I acknowledged that in my post. But its a long way from offensive assistant to calling offensive plays on Sundays.

                Do you really want a guy as your OC who’s only experience on offense is one year as an entry level offensive assistant almost two decades ago, one year as a “Senior Offensive Consultant” where nobody can answer what his actual role was, and one year as a TEs coach?

              6. That is true, but when I said “do you” I meant as in “does anyone”. I should have said do you think Baalke, Jed and whoever the new HC is would want that?

    1. I’m sure he’ll start the season that way but who will be running it by the half way point?

  6. Grant,
    Do they really pay you for this? Nothing from you for 3-4 days and then a 9 word question without a question mark, asking the readers to do your job for you! Who at the PD do you have photos of in an uncompromising position? What a lazy, lame attempt on your part! You should be ashamed of yourself.

  7. Razor,
    Gase has done a very good job in using the TE in Denver. Julius Thomas has become a star in Gase’ offense.
    If he can revive the TE position on the 49ers offense, I would take a shot at him.

    1. I think they give Fangio a raise, maybe make him assistant coach, give Donatell and Tomsula raises and hire Adam Gase as the coach.

      1. Fangio should be considered as HC material and he may hold out to see if any HC position might be in the offing before settling on a lesser role.

        If he is selected as the 49ers HC I would be fine with that.
        Imo, choosing an OC will have more far reaching implications for the team. It will be very interesting to see who that person will be.

        Also, I understand that Roman is still under contract by the 49ers. I really thought that he would be the first one to be sent packing.
        Hmmm, is the FO trying to save face in the Harbaugh fiasco by keeping Roman around in an attempt to show the fanbase that they (FO) never fought with Harbaugh about firing Roman?
        Just kickin’ it.

        1. All the coaches are free to look for work with other teams. They are not being held to their current contracts. It doesn’t mean than they will get offers to stay here. If Roman or anyone else doesn’t find a job, the 49ers would have to pay him/them for the last year of his/their contract.

  8. Rather than speculate on the person will run the offense, I will agree with Kawakami on KNBR on one of the qualities of the HC/OC who will run the offense.

    That person will have a good appreciation of the Niners’ defense and will not put the latter in a bad position (consistently losing on TOP, bad field position, etc.). To my thinking, that rules out Chip Kelley-type coach.

    1. Kawakami’ opinion is as good as the others these past few days.
      Plus it’s been intriguing to see everyone’s offerings and read their takes on why they like potential HC’s.

      There really is nothing left to do these days as 49er fans but to speculate who our next coach we be.
      Once we have a coach in place the next thing to look forward to will be the draft. But first things first.

  9. Longshot pick: Tom Rathman

    My pick: Marty Mornhinweg (assuming the Jets dump him)

    Joe Lombardi would be a good fit for the current 49er players, but he is probably going to get a HC position.

  10. To guess correctly would require knowing not just who the candidates are but who those candidates are likely to choose as their OC & QB’s coach. You don’t just want the correct lottery numbers but you want to know which order they’ll be picked.

    1. I dunno, c4c …

      If I hit all 6 of the lottery numbers ..
      I wouldn’t care which order
      they came outta the hopper

  11. I think they’ll stay in house ! They don’t want to ruin the chemistry. Shanahan is a no – unless they look at the Seahawks D- cordinator just to finally beat Seahawks and get under their skin. But for sure in house !
    Jim tomsuls
    G-ro
    Fangio

    1. Wait a sec … G-ro is out
      Yikes
      Either Fangio or tomsula ( who has the winningest record amongst nfl coaches currently, 1-0 ;p )

  12. Every one has some good ideas. Baalke needs to come to a understanding as to what he has and what he needs to win a Super Bowl . if you look at the patriots they have won in different ways changing things up as teams have cough up with what they do but doing it with a core set of players . this is what gives you longevity in this league . You just can’t win with the bill parcells model of 25 years ago. teams catch up to quick to what you are doing and there is no second act like the old saying two vain people can’t share the same mirror hire the best people and let them do there best it is his job to do that If he can’t see ya.

  13. From the Philadephia Eagles via Twitter:

    “Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie announces new structural change for the #Eagles: Howie Roseman elevated to Executive VP of Football Ops.”

    and tweeted one minute later:

    “Coach Kelly will oversee player personnel department and lead efforts to hire a new personnel executive, a process that begins immediately.”

    Looks like we can forget the Kelly chatter.

    1. Jed take notice people around the league are begging to wonder if you have a pair of big boy pants or not. you need to do something like this as well give the new coach the power he needs to put a winner on the field. it is not the GM job to dictate what the team will be. this tells the coach you have no faith in him and his vision and why would he want to coach for you ? just go out and try to find the best coaches for the offense. try to keep most of them from the defensive side of the ball. and draft mostly offensive players this draft as that side of the ball needs all the help it can get. you have let it go for years now lets all get to work and just get it done

  14. My guess is Tom Rathman. He knows the original WCO and our power run game. He has developed all of the backs and Bruce!
    The Shanahan interview is as much about seeking advice as both sides will figure the partnership wont work.
    Most of the others as others have said are for reasons other than hiring them.
    Which then turns it into the elect Fangio process. promoting Rathman gives it a Walsh referenced makeover. Would leave Tomsula to promote as DC.
    I am sure Jed would be reluctant as it would evidence that Harbs was a good teacher of coaches but actually most of these guys are ready. Most of the current OCs we interviewed wont come and this would be the quickest way to ‘reload’. The question then is who would Rathman bring in as asst coaches as most of the current ones leave the building. Id be interested to know if the GRo unfettered by Harbs would call better games but that experiment will happen elsewhere.

    1. I don’t know if you can just promote a regular coach to OC. It requires a multitude of skills that transcend just being football knowledgeable. Being able to multitask, think outside the box and with quick tactical abilities. The later being essential for in game adjustments and also the hardest one to find within the football community. Look at the history of the sport and how few and slowly the adjustments and changes to the game came.

      1. Same size and arm strength, both one-year wonders whose success is a byproduct of a play-action passing game that works off of a dominant running game. Grayson’s tailback this season is a transfer from Alabama. Shut him down and you shut down Grayson. We saw that recently against Utah recently.

        1. I question his arm strength as well. The short to intermediate passes appear to have enough zip but his long balls although on target tend to arc or rainbow a bit too much.

          How many QB’s struggle once the defense has taken away the running game? When the defense can just start pinning their ears back and going all out for the QB how many manintain their efficiency under those circumstances?

          Most pro’s suffer from the same “disadvantage” of dropping off when the defense eliminates the RB.

          1. As long as he has the accuracy, which he does in spades, I’ll let the trainers worry about his arm strength for the deeper passes.

    1. While you’re impressing us with your QB evaluating skills remind us who Tyler Wilson = again? Cause right now Tyler Wilson = out of the NFL.

  15. The Niners may have the personnel for zone blocking. Staley is agile, supposedly that was also a strength of Kilgore, Boone would be an agile tackle, and with Iupati gone, Marcus Martin or Kaleb Ramsey might be capable zone-blocking guards. What about Anthony Davis? Well, when Chilo Rachal had to be replaced, the scouting reports on Davis were resurrected, and they projected that he would be a better guard than tackle. Who knows? One thing for sure, getting rid of these road-grader lineman would help the pass blocking. Also, concerning the move of Boone to tackle: From what I’ve seen of him in practice going back to his rookie year when he dominated Aldon Smith, he is a great pass-blocking tackle. When he gets his hands on you, you can’t even get into his chest. You know he wants to play tackle. Motivation overload!

  16. Here’s something interesting about Geep Chryst from 49ers.com:

    “Before joining Carolina in 2006, Chryst served as the Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks coach (2001-03) and San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (1999-2000). Chryst implemented the no-huddle offense in San Diego in 1999, which led to Harbaugh enjoying the second-highest passing output (2,761 passing yards) of his 15-year career. The Chargers also completed the most passes (332) in 13 years with Chryst directing the offense and Harbaugh became the first quarterback in team history since Hall of Famer Dan Fouts to pass for 400 yards in a game, that year.”

      1. I’m trying to learn more about Chryst. Now I know what his connection is with Harbaugh. Weeks ago I was clamoring for Chryst to call the plays, but that was out of frustration with Roman.

        He might make a good OC. If Fangio is HC, Donatell DC, then Fangio might want Chryst. Unfortunately, there is little recent evidence of how Chryst might run an offense if he was the OC.

        1. Geep Chryst:

          1999 Chargers OC: Offense ranked 26th in yards and 28th in points.
          2000 Chargers OC: Offense ranked 28th in yards and 26th in points.

          I’d be pretty disappointed if he was named the OC.

          1. Take a look at the 1999 and 2000 rosters for the Chargers. There wasn’t a lot to work with.

            1. Interesting you say that.

              – Natrone Means went from a respectable power back (4.2 ypc and 88 ypg in 1998) to averaging 2.5 ypc and 40 ypg in 1999.
              – Jeff Graham had over 8,000 yards receiving in his career.
              – Freddie Jones was a good receiving TE.
              – Curtis Conway was picked up in 2000 and was a pretty darn good WR too, also with over 8,000 yards in his career.

              The TOs killed that team. Chryst didn’t get the best out of Harbaugh, and couldn’t get the running game going. In 2000 Ryan Leaf was a huge mistake, but even with Harbaugh at the reigns the offense couldn’t stop turning the ball over, and had no running game.

              1. I can the same thing in regards to the 49ers Scooter by naming key players, but it doesn’t change the fact that the team wasn’t good this year, and because they weren’t good, there wasn’t a lot to work with. The same applies to those Chargers.
                Harbaugh was nearing the end of his playing career and on the decline, so expecting Chryst to get much out of him wasn’t being realistic.

              2. Also, the 49ers offensive coaches did have a lot to work with this year. The fact they didn’t make it work is likely a very good reason Harbaugh and Roman aren’t coming back.

  17. My guess about who the new HC will be is Fangio, which personally I would welcome. He’s no one’s fool, prepares well, and is resourceful. The defensive players sell out for him and I believe the offensive players would too. If they bring in an OC with a mind for a creative, balanced attack, fix the oline, and use Kaep more as a game manager, this would have the potential of turning out quite well.

  18. Vic fangio had a 6 hr interview that was said to be very impressive.. According to Ian rapport.. He gets the HC job while niners try to convince shanahan for OC.. That’s my guess.

        1. I think it will depend on how interested he is in getting back into the NFL. Only SF has an interview scheduled with him. Chicago is said to be interested but no interview scheduled. He was out all of this past year. He might figure he could start back as an OC and then try for HC again. What mitigates this idea is his age; realistically how many years as a HC would he get if he went this route.

    1. If there’s anyone who can tell them objectively what’s wrong with the offense, it’s Fangio. He doesn’t pull punches. Regarding convincing Shanahan to go back to being an OC, I don’t see much of a chance in that. Admit I could be wrong.

    1. ’14 was his first year as an OC. He’s been a positional coach up to that point. He’s also never been with a team for more then two consecutive seasons which he did only once, with the Colts. Since then he’s had a series of one season stints with teams. Not much of a HC resume at this point. Maybe after another season or two if San Diego keeps him around and the offense doesn’t tank then maybe he’ll get more looks.

          1. Not really. Del Rio needed a few free agents to make the Denver defense good and Koetter’s offense doesn’t fit with the current player personnel on our offense.

            1. What does Del Rio needing free agents have to do with his ability to be a good head coach?

              As I pointed out already, looking at the contracts and player situations(Crabtree, Gore, O-line, new receivers needed) we will probably have a very different group on offensive next year and with a new OC those players will match their style.

              1. Look at the ‘potential’ positions on offense that could have new players that fit a different type of system;

                WR, the team in the next two drafts needs to acquire almost an entire set of starting receivers. Ellington is a ?, Patton is a ?/unreliable, Boldin is old and wont be playing much longer, Crabtree isn’t worth what he wants to be paid and will be gone.

                RB, Gore might be brought back on a one year deal and he might not. I know a lot of people are hoping Hyde is his successor but I haven’t seen anything that suggests that the case, yet. Which means they’ll be drafting at least 1 RB possibly 2.

                TE, Davis gone? He should be. McDonald isn’t a reliable receiver. So they’ll need a TE if not this year then probably next depending on what Vernon does.

                O-line, Iupati is a liability. Martin was rough and is still a ?, Boone? Anthony Davis is a decent RT when he’s actually on the field and not making an ass of him self on twitter. Staley appears to maybe be in decline? tough to say but at this point he’s the only truly reliable player in the group and he had what seemed to be his worst year yet.

                QB…. let’s not go there.

                So there is no reason to assume that the new OC has to conform to the players we have since a good portion of them will probably be replaced in the next season or two anyway.

              2. I don’t think you can count on Boone. But the real point is that the team will draft and sign players to match what the coaches want and the current o-line is far from irreplaceable at this point outside of Staley and probably Davis. How much longer before they try to replace Staley with a younger cheaper tackle?

                You need to look a little closer at the numbers you posted. In the years 2002-2007 his defenses are ranked quite high in fact. With many of the categories in the top 3 ranking. Between 2008-2010 his defenses slip a bit but hardly at the bottom. From 2012 on his defense is ranked in the top 3 again in many of the categories listed.

                So if you’re trying to point to the quality of his defenses as a reason to judge whether he’s a quality head coach candidate then you’ve made my point for me. He should be hired immediately.

              3. All I’m doing is pointing out the reality that faces the offense. Many of the current starters simply wont be back next season for many different reasons. It’s not like a new OC is coming into a situation where the offense is set with players that are all performing at a high level at their position. With the turnover that is inevitable the team is already shaping up to look very different next year anyway. It’s hardly hard to imagine them retooling for a new system.

              4. So if you’re trying to point to the quality of his defenses as a reason to judge whether he’s a quality head coach candidate then you’ve made my point for me. He should be hired immediately.

                Thank the maker you won’t be the one deciding that because in his bad years, he was really bad.

                All I’m doing is pointing out the reality that faces the offense. Many of the current starters simply wont be back next season for many different reasons.

                That will primarily depend of who the new coach and/or OC want. As it currently stands, only Iupati, Crabtree, and Gore are the only free agents coming from this offense. That’s not exactly enough losses there to warrant a scheme change.

      1. That sounds like you think Jed did what his father did, and fired a winning coach with no better alternative lined up. I’ll buy that.

    1. I have no idea why Del Rio is being talked about, but the guy really wasn’t a very good HC and he’s on virtually no ones list to interview.

      Koetter was nothing special either until he had a good QB throwing to Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. I could live with the idea of him being here but not Del Rio.

      My guess is Adam Gase or Kyle Shanahan.

          1. And Belichik had 1 in 5 with Cleveland.

            Del Rio went to the playoffs with Byron Leftwich and David Garrard. Nuff Said.

              1. Comparing the first five years of a coach that continued his tenure after the fifth year to a coach that faced an impossible final year because of his owner wanting to move the team elsewhere doesn’t work.

              2. Why? Because it doesn’t suit you?

                Those are the records of both coaches over their first five years as HC’s with the first team they coached. Its as good a comparison as is possible.

              3. In that case I expect to never see you make any comparisons on anything in the future, Mid. Because no two situations are ever exactly the same.

              4. I usually don’t unless it’s draft picks Scooter. And if you want as fair of a comparison as possible, then try Belichick and Harbaugh. Both were forced out in bad ways. Different ways yes, but bad nonetheless.

              5. I don’t think that is a good comparison, but hey, I guess that just supports what you are saying!

        1. He finished with a regular season record under 500.

          Let’s also remember Belichick had won 2 SBs as a DC under Parcells as well. His resume was far superior to Del Rio.

      1. I still think Del Rio did a decent job, and in the later years of his Jaguars tenure he did not have much talent to work with.

        I’m not sure I completely agree with the love being thrown Koetter’s way, but he’s alright. He really wasn’t given much to work with at the Jaguars so the fact the offense was able to move the ball at all was a minor miracle. But strangely after relying heavily on the run at the Jaguars he’s really struggled to get the run going at the Falcons, despite teams focusing on trying to stop the passing game.

        1. Scooter,

          He did ok at times but his overall record was poor. 9 years is more than enough time to build a team and he failed. He’s as much to blame for the personnel as the GM was. He was given a lot of say in Jax. There’s a reason he is not getting any calls.

          1. So he’s not a personnel man. That has nothing to do with whether he’s a good coach or not.

            His overall record took a dive during his last 4 seasons when the player cupboard was pretty much empty, but even heading into his last season at the Jaguars he had a winning percentage above .500.

            1. I just can’t get behind a candidate who achieved so little over a long period of time. I don’t see Belichick the Sequel here.

              1. That’s fair enough. But you have to admit the talent just wasn’t there in those last few years he was at the Jags.

              2. It wasn’t the best Scooter, no argument there.

                BTW congratulations on your horses comeback from injury. Must have been a proud day for you.

              3. Thanks mate, it was amazing. Twelve months ago we seriously didn’t know whether she’d race again, and if she did, didn’t know if she’d come back as good. To see her win her first start back, and in such a fast time and against a pretty good field, was such a thrill.

                Our trainer was actually crying after the race she was so happy and relieved. There may have been a tear or two in my eyes too!

              4. You made my day with that story Scooter. Thanks for sharing it and continued success to your brave Philly.

            2. His overall record took a dive during his last 4 seasons when the player cupboard was pretty much empty

              Translation: he can’t develop players. PASS.

              1. Maybe there is some truth to that. Of course, there is also truth to the saying “garbage in, garbage out”.

  19. For me if I was the owner. I would promote Fangio to HC then Promote Fat little guy to DC. Find the hottest (looks not important) OC that is in the biz that fits our personal and scheme.

    1. Hot offensive coordinators can’t make moves while under contract unless they are taking a HC job. Name one that’s available.

      1. True enough ,however Chudzinski is not currently an OC and could be available.Fangio as HC and Chudz as OC sounds decent to me.

        1. I just checked his record. Looks like he’s not what I would call a “hot” OC candidate, but he might be. He should help with the tight ends as a bonus.

  20. Kelly isn’t becoming the coach of the Niners. Bad fit ‘philosophically’ speaking. Both the Niners and the Eagles were suppose to do well this year and they both didn’t. Thing in common, front office turmoil. Front office needs to succumb to what the coach feels they need to implement what the coach brings to the table.

    1. Under:

      See my earlier post. That ship has sailed. Kelly has been given additional responsibilities which include player personnel. He won his power struggle.

    1. Fangio seems to make the most sense. If he’s hired, I hope the 49ers can retain Tomsula as line coach.

      My #1 wish is we retain as many of the defensive staff as possible through promotion, pay increase or what-ever-works.

      My #2 wish is we retain Rathman and Solari.

      Mystery Question 7: Martin struggled all year. Why didn’t the 49ers move ex swing tackle Boone to RT and put Looney in at RG?

      1. B2W:

        Perhaps it’s because they don’t want to give Boone a resume that will support him asking for “tackle” money instead of “guard” money.

      2. This is a very good question. I’ve read, as I’m sure you did, that they couldn’t run to the right side with Martin there. It’s hard to believe they did not make the change you suggest because they wanted to impair Boone’s marketability.

        1. George:

          I was thinking more that he would ask the 49ers for more money and be able to concretely support that request by saying he is playing the tackle position. I hadn’t really considered his marketability outside of the 49ers, but you’re right that would be impacted as well.

          1. Your thesis about Boone is of course possible. All we do is make guesses. I’ve thought about Brodie’s question some more and have come up with another possibility, that they kept Boone at guard to help out the inexperienced center, MMartin. Who knows? The stronger right side would have been Looney and Boone.

    1. Oops: Update from PFT says that 49ers have NOT asked for permission to talk to Kyle Shanahan.

  21. Tyler Lockett is someone that might be worth a look in the third round. Good speed and an impressive stop-and-go move.

    1. He’ll be a pretty good slot WR in the pros I reckon. Shifty type, that is good at shaking coverage in tight areas, but also has the speed to threaten deep.

      He’s tiny though – listed as 5’11” but that looks very generous to me. I’d expect closer to 5’9″ when they get an official measurement, and he’s thin too. Size hasn’t stopped TY Hilton from becoming one of the top WRs in the NFL though. I agree he could well be worth the look in mid rounds.

  22. Earlier today I mentioned that I thought Fangio would be selected as HC, Donatell as DC and possibly Mike Shanahan as OC.

    One issue I hadn’t considered is that if we select a defensive “guru” as the head coach and if the chosen OC turns around our offense, that OC will be a hot commodity at the end of 2015 for a HC position. The concern then is that we are setting Colin up to have different OCs in a fairly short period of time (similar to what happened to Alex). If, OTOH, the HC is offense minded, then this would be less of a concern if at all. Some will say, that Colin’s not sticking around anyway. OK, but we could still have this potential problem with any QB whose OC changes frequently.

    1. I suddenly find myself on the Tomsula band wagon. Although I still like Del Rio/Koetter combo better.

    2. Quinn would work for me, but I’m not sold on Koetter being the fix for our offense given the current personnel.

      1. You mean given the current personnel that probably wont be here next season? Those guys?

        1. Who besides Gore, Iupati, and Crabtree are you thinking won’t be with the team next season?

          1. I’m still reluctant to give up on Iupati for nothing in return. 1 yr/$8 mil for the franchise tag. There’s also the transition tag for less money. We had enough problems on the O-Line last year. Hate to give up a tough, young 2-time pro bowler who could bounce back with the right OC/system.

  23. Someone may have already posted it, but the 49ers announced their 2015 schedule (as per 49ers.com) and we will be playing 7 playoff teams in 2015. Actually the number is 9 when you count playing both Seattle and Arizona twice.

    We have our regular divisional games against Seattle and Arizona.
    Add the Lions, Ravens, Cincy, Pittsburg and Green Bay.
    Our first year HC will have his hands full.

  24. Just in: Lawrence Okoye signed a “reserve future” contract.

    Its been said that Okoye will only play football if Tomsula’s still a 49er coach in 2015.

    1. I wish Lawrence success, I’ve been pulling for him all along, but you have to make the roster before you dictate terms. I get his connection to Jim and all, but so far he’s been paid to be a remedial student. If he doesn’t have full commitment maybe they can’t count on him for depth and will need to bring in some FA or draftee to compete for his spot.

    2. Okoye is in no position to make any demands. I know that sounds harsh, but at this point in his career he’s done nothing but PS duty.

      1. I don’t think he’s making demands. I think he was just making a statement. He could walk away from football because it does hold as much meaning to him as it does for the average American athlete.

        1. Agreed KY.
          Demand may be to strong a term and out of context, but even an innocent statement falls under scrutiny based on no production to this point after a couple of seasons.

          Why not try Okoye as a lead FB blocker slash TE on special packages? As a former Rugby player he has experience in carrying the ball. At 6′ 6″ and close to 300lbs and good speed he may be more valuable on offense.

      1. Channeling his dad would be enough. There was a cheap shot on a final play kneel down after Kansas took a time out. I’m surprised he didn’t pat the Kansas coach on the back and some how miss and catch his chin.

    1. Mora’s half-handshake was in response to Kansas State taking out the UCLA center’s knees, then hurling a guy over the top at Hundley on the last kneel-down. Mora later gave the coach a full handshake while explaining to him why he was upset.

    2. Tom Coughlin handled it better. After the game against Tampa when the Bucs attacked Eli on the kneel down, TC shook the coach’s hand and didn’t let go until he’d spoken his mind about it.

    1. Tim Drevno was the Offesnsive line coach for the 49ers from 2011-2013

      Say what you want about Harbaugh not firing Roman, but his loyalty to his coaches will pay off during his career. Who wouldn’t want to work for a boss that protects you and lobbies for higher pay in your behalf. He will be back in the NFL with a strong supporting staff.

      1. @AES

        Now let’s not take it personal…you’re still betting with your heart over your head

        1. OREGONINER,
          No, Winston’ fumble that resulted in a TD was very much like Alex Smith’ fumble against the Eagles that resulted in a TD.

          1. @AES

            Good morning…

            If you choose to remember Jameis Winston’s fumble as more like an Alex Smith fumble than any other fumble or pick-6, …..help yourself…It doesn’t strengthen nor weaken either of our points of view.

  25. Had a very eventful evening last night. At 8:30 my phone rings and its my friend John, he says lets go to the casino. Me – John you know I don’t give my money to the casino’s. No not to gamble, Mariota is in town. What? I say. Yes he is at the casino. I live in a town of about 9000 people so this kind of news was big. John swung by and picked me up and off to the casino we went. John can speak a little Hawaiian which I didn’t know at the time. Well John uttered something in Hawaiian and that’s all it took. Marcus Mariota and my friend hit it off right away. Marcus was there to celebrate with his lineman the big victory over Florida. Needless to say I got his autograph on a sports illustrated cover.
    I really hope this kid does well in the pros, football needs more good guys.

    1. Good story. Although I am an FSU fan, nothing like humble young guys. Kudos to Mariota. He seems like genuine good guy.

    2. Nice story undercenter.
      It would be interesting to see how many IT49ersPD family have had a celebrity encounter.

  26. The Niner’s choice with HC will give you a clue of whether they are thinking short term, long term, and marketing.

    There’s coaches you pick because you want to win and be competitive on a yearly basis, and there’s a coach you pick so that fans are exciting about the team. Of course a winning team helps that too, but right now the first coach will be a PR move. How do you mutual part ways with Harbaugh, the coach that brought the team back from the dead, with a retread like Jack Del Rio?

    Would you be excited to watch that team?

    That’s why it’s going to be a “sexy” hire — a young gun or so called brilliant mind. Harbaugh was conniving, and a motivator, but once his bully tactic didn’t work, he had nothing to offer beyond the x’s and o’s. He’s not the QB whisperer that he thought he was, that’s for sure. Some of the QB shortcomings do fall on Kaep, I doubt he will ever be a top level QB regardless of his talent, and he’s not much of a leader.

    Or — It’s going to be Fangio. Fans love the D, and he’ll do what Harbaugh could not. And he’ll probably come cheap. Then they’ll bring in OC with a lot of heat, Baalke will force Fangio to work with him, and the team will be not quite good enough for the next 2-3 years, always around 6-10 to 10-6.

    And we start over again.

    How about that Mariota??

    1. I know you have a strong dislike for Kaep but Mariota will have the same issues. He has all the physical attributes but he’s the product of a system – just like Kaep was.

      1. KY49ER…wrong. Mariota is all the good things about Kaep, and none of the bad things except that he will take a year or two to develop. Same was true with Elway and Rodgers.

      2. It’s going to take more than a year or two. Mariota will have the same struggles as Kaep, Cam, and Russell. Once he thinks he has figured it out, defensive coordinators will be one step ahead. Kaep dominated his first two years, coordinators figured him out. Now is his moment to adjust. It’s not a knock against Mariota, it’s the reality of running QB’s in the NFL.

            1. KY49ER

              You’re both about half right….He’s a passing QB who can run; and a running QB who can pass….but unlike Kaep, he’s accurate, and decisive, and sees the entire field (progressions)…IMHO, not even a close facsimile to Kaep

              1. Would you take Mariota over Kaep?

                Not sure if he sees the entire field but during that Rose Ball he seemed like a leader and can do a lot of things. That Oregon offense has alot more moving parts then just the read/option.

                He has a quicker release then Kaep. Not as strong an arm though.

              2. Some other differences between Mariota and Kaep. Mariota is humble. Classy. And most of all, he has shown tremendous improvement in his footwork and in reading the field this past year.

              3. OREGON49ER,
                Aren’t you speaking from a biased perspective as your avatar name would suggest?

                Again, Mariota may be playing on the best team in the nation which makes his star shine a little brighter.
                We just don’t know what he will bring to the pros until he steps onto the field.
                He may prove to be an excellent pro or just another Heisman QB flame-out.
                TBD…

              4. Sully,
                Kaepernick does charitable contributions via time and money and also hosts a golf tournament that benefits Camp Taylor, which is a camp for children with heart defects.
                Whether you like him as a QB or not, his actions speak louder than his words when it comes to class. I expect him to be more loquacious next year with a different HC’s energy in the building.
                I personally think Mariota is going to be a bust. I wouldn’t want him as the face of my franchise, but Winston is going to better, I believe.

              5. Not true Oregon. Mariota is very similar to Kap and his passing game is almost solely short passes and defined reads. He plays in a system that he’s done very well in but he’s no franchise QB imo and has average arm strength and accuracy on longer throws.

                He’s had a whale of a career at Oregon, but I think he’s a better College QB than he will be a pro.

                Just my opinion having watched him the past few years.

            2. Mariota threw one pick and should have been two. He’s good regardless if any of you want to admit it or not, he’s most definitely a product of that Oregon system.

              Winston is better than Mariota.

              1. Geez!! I’m complimented, but couldn’t find an open ‘reply’ slotso I’ll try to answer sort of ‘shotgun’ all at once.

                AES check with Grant, I was OREGONINER before Mariota came to Oregon…still…yeah, I suppose there is a bit of bias in choosing Mariota so strongly against Kaep ….Now, are you showing a little bit of bias in why you are defending CK so strongly…? Are you a Nevada Reno alum? Well, Kaep HAS been on the pro field, and I think it would be a stretch to think that Mariota wouldn’t surpass his accomplishments…No, not just another”Heisman QB flameout” Time will tell….

                ROCKET…the only similarities are that they both throw right handed. The idea in football passing is to throw the ball to the receiver that is reachable and catchable; not to make the receiver break stride or have the ball go through him like a howitzer Mariota’s receivers catch the ball and gain YAC…He can throw the long pass, but with ACCURACY. I don’t draw up Oregons game plan, but neither do you.

                KY49ER…Mariota may be playing on the best team in America..Until the Rose Bowl, Jameis Winston had played on the best college team in America for 29 straight games…ahem,… what was that statement about the Oregon system?

                Fan 77…Would I take Mariota over Kaep..? In a heartbeat…for many reasons

                Thanks guys

          1. Mariota is very good, but may also be playing for the best college team in the nation.
            I agree that Marcus is not a runner per se, but he can run when the opportunity arises. His runs are mostly by design as opposed to a run first mentality.

            But as I pointed out yesterday, the overwhelming number of Heisman QB winners don’t fare to well in the pros.
            Hopefully Mariota can do better than his predecessors.

    2. “Harbaugh was conniving, and a motivator, but once his bully tactic didn’t work, he had nothing to offer beyond the x’s and o’s. He’s not the QB whisperer that he thought he was, that’s for sure.”
      ~ Fan77

      Fan, I’m just a little interested in knowing what concrete evidence you can provide to prove that Harbaugh was “conniving” and a “bully”?
      Also, can you please tell me how Alex Smith was playing pre-Harbaugh?

      You make some strong assertions that need to be backed-up.

      1. AES,

        That’s just the sense I got from him in his first press conference. Not saying that made him a bad coach.
        By bully tactic, I mean that he made the team to be the toughest to impose their will. Once teams got passed that, there wasn’t much else to it. So they can only be more bad or more tough. Eventually they needed to be more creative with schemes on the offensive side, or find a way to get Kaep into a comfort zone. The offense was power football and not WCO and during his press conference he said they were going to run WCO which was total BS.

        1. Fan,
          I agree with your post. I was surprised that Harbaugh wasn’t able to produce a more effective offense, but your general take on his personality is sound. Everybody knew this when he was hired. He has acted the same way his entire life. He is a bully and he is extremely difficult to get along with for most people, it seems.
          He’s a great motivator and competitor, but his offensive philosophy and lack of HC experience became glaring as this season wore on. I’m sad to see Harbaugh go and I wish him the best of luck, but I believe he is better suited for the college game and will ultimately be more successful there. He’s a winner, no doubt. Time will tell if he can be a champion.

  27. From Ian Rapoport:

    “Candidate generating interest under the radar: Gary Kubiak. After (if) #Ravens are out of playoffs, expect #49ers to talk to him. #Jets, too”

    1. I can see a team liking Kubiak as an OC but not as a head coach. Nothing impressive about his record in that category. Harbaugh’s (Jim’s) record before coming here was impeccable. In the case of Fangio, yes, he’s never been one, but he brings stability and, IMO, considerable upside. Vic appears to be an extremely capable, and extremely prepared guy with a strength in making half-time adjustments. Probably what’s hurt him in the past has been his humility. He’s not a self-promoter, which some execs interpret as lack of self-confidence, obviously a bad sign in a leader. But if he’s given a chance, I think he could quickly grow into a dynamite HC. Pair him with an up and coming offensive genius type and a revamped oline, and I think we are back in the hunt.

      1. Kubiak’s offenses have consistently been pretty darn good, and he’s a big advocate of running the ball.

        As a HC, it wasn’t until the combination of Wade Phillips and JJ Watt came on board that the defense started pulling its own weight, and the team started putting together winning records. His last year is a difficult one to gauge as Schaub went in the tank, Foster was injured, and everything went to hell in a hand basket.

        Any team that hires him as a HC will need a good D and DC. That’s the same for pretty much any offensive minded coach. And its something the 49ers can offer.

        1. Scooter, good food for thought. We do need to keep the offense balanced. Do you think we could accomplish the same with Fangio as HC? I know you post often, so if you have already said so, I apologize for missing it.

          1. I’m not as high on Fangio as the next HC as many. I think he’s an excellent DC, but not sure how he’ll go as a HC.

            But in terms of maintaining a balance on offense with Fangio in charge, I would imagine so. He wouldn’t run the offense, but given the HC’s he’s worked under and OC’s he’s worked with, I would imagine he has a healthy respect for a balanced offense, and his choice of OC would reflect that.

            1. I’m in the same category on Fangio. Never has been a HC and before his time here, his defenses really tailed off over time during his career.

              Hope he stays as DC though.

            2. Scooter:

              I think “straightshooter” Fangio would make adjustments where Harbaugh would not. For example, if the offense sucks again next year and it can be traced mostly back to the OC, I think Fangio would replace the OC midseason. While I’m generally a believer in staying a course, I think leaders need to make adjustments when it’s clear the course is wrong or has been greatly affected by unforseen events. Harbaugh was stubborn in this respect, but I don’t believe Fangio will be.

            3. Fangio is a bend but don’t break, keep it simple kind of DC. He preaches sound fundamentals, and don’t give up the big play. It works well on D.

              I think he would bring that attitude to the head coach position. Its a conservative approach. And I’m afraid that while that is a fine attitude to have on defense most of the time, I don’t think it is a positive enough, dynamic enough, or aggressive enough attitude to win championships.

        2. I actually think Kubiaks’ offense might be a good fit for Kaepernick because there’s little jacking around at the line….

          1. I think it would be a good fit for more than that reason. I think the running scheme would be very well suited to Hyde’s style of running. It relies on a lot of running and play-action passing, and uses a good mix of high-percentage throws and deep shots down the field.

            1. I agree with you Scooter. I was just thinking out loud while watching how he calls the play and they run it, boom!

            1. Exactly. Our O-line are plodders, not really zone blockers from a physical standpoint. That one cut zone scheme consistently produces results, though.

          2. I’m in favor of pursuing Kubiak, whether that’s as OC or HC is up for grabs. Either way, I think it would be a good fit…though, if it’s as HC the goal would be to retain Fangio to keep the defense steady.

            Another thought on the Kubiak angle: could he lure Torrey Smith to take sign with us? It would take the pressure of Baalke to land a WR in the draft (and instead use early picks on defense/O-line/QB); add speed on offense; give us the much coveted deep threat.

            1. Why would the Ravens let Kubiak go to the 49ers in a lateral move? The 49ers will only get Kubiak if they make him HC.

              Torrey Smith has had his lowest production (bar TDs) of his career under Kubiak, and has played second fiddle to Steve Smith. Not sure he’d be chomping at the bit to work with Kubiak again. There has also been quite a bit of talk as to whether Torrey Smith really suits Kubiak’s offense.

              1. I don’t know how linked Smith’s production is to Kubiak, but he ranks in the top 10 among receivers in yards per catch and TD’s. Something’s working.

  28. NBC Sports is reporting that the 49ers have not given permission to the Wash. Redskins to speak to Vic Fangio.

    This seems to be a clear indication that the 49ers are genuinely interested in Fangio as HC.

    1. Or keeping him as DC. Based on what the FO said about the remaining coaches, Fangio will be free to go if he isn’t the HC and doesn’t want to work for the new HC.

  29. I posted the following last night and have not gotten any responses/opinions. I would like to know if others view my post below as a potential concern. I’m posting it again, because I think it is important to the issue of whether our new HC should come from a strong defense background (Fangio, Tomsula, Quinn, Ryan, etc.) or have a strong offense background (McDaniels, Gase, etc.). Most of the candidates seem to be either or.

    “Earlier today I mentioned that I thought Fangio would be selected as HC, Donatell as DC and possibly Mike Shanahan as OC.

    One issue I hadn’t considered is that if we select a defensive “guru” as the head coach and if the chosen OC turns around our offense, that OC will be a hot commodity at the end of 2015 for a HC position. The concern then is that we are setting Colin up to have different OCs in a fairly short period of time (similar to what happened to Alex). If, OTOH, the HC is offense minded, then this would be less of a concern if at all. Some will say, that Colin’s not sticking around anyway. OK, but we could still have this potential problem with any QB whose OC changes frequently.”

    1. cubus,
      Colin Kaepernick will be the 2015 starting QB.
      When Baalke said that the team is not in a rebuilding but rather a reloading mode he had many of the current players in mind. One of those was Colin.

      1. What I mean is, in moving ahead, you can’t fine-tune it like that. You can’t predict the future, so the best you can do is go with what you have and deal with the future later.

        1. George:

          If Gase or McDaniels becomes the HC, then there will be continuity in the offensive philosophy for at least several years. When you look at one of the issues people often cite as a reason that Alex took so long to develop, at the top was lack of continuity on the offense (i.e. frequent turnover in OCs.)

          1. Let’s see. Win the Superbowl or bust! How does the same guy run the program for several years if he doesn’t win Superbowls?

              1. You introduced yourself a while back as new to this stuff. You are, and that idea has been in Jed’s extended family starting with Eddie. He means it, and any candidate knows that those are the conditions of employment.

                It’s not the standard “Aim for the Superbowl” and adjust when you miss that the best team owners insist on. The Steelers have the most Superbowl wins and the shortest head coach list in the Superbowl era.

          2. Okay, but just keep in mind that no one really knows how good either of these guys would be without Manning and Brady. (Actually, in McDaniels’ case there is also the fact he has been HC before and did not prove successful.) With Fangio, you have a solid rock with half the squad — the defense, i.e., the better part of the team — already behind him. At a minimum, all they need to do is to make the offense functional. With no Bill Walsh out there, the more I think about it, the more I believe that promoting Vic is a no-brainer. And I believe he might turn out to be a very good HC.

            1. George:

              I just learned today that even though the niners can interview playoff bound coaches, they can’t make an offer to that coach until after their team is out of the playoffs. Therefore, the earliest that they can make an offer to Gase or McDaniels is late next weekend. I suspect this increases the likelihood that Fangio will be selected.

              I support Fangio as the HC as I’ve mentioned several times. I was just voicing a concern regarding potential revolving OCs. I’m now thinking that if Fangio is HC, the OC will probably be Chryst.

              1. Thanks for your reply. If they promote Fangio, my guess is they will hire an OC from the outside, otherwise it will make their firing of Harbaugh — and I assume Roman — appear absolutely ridiculous.

  30. “I personally think Mariota is going to be a bust. I wouldn’t want him as the face of my franchise, but Winston is going to better, I believe.”
    ~ BigP

    You may have a good point regarding Mariota and Winston. Mariota really hasn’t faced any on or off field issues. We don’t know how Mariota will mentality handle any issues he may confront in the NFL.
    Winston has continued to play well even with the specter of an alleged (recently dropped) sex allegation against him.

    I will be attentive to their NFL careers to see how they fare.

      1. htwaits,
        Correct. The women making the allegations has until Jan.13 the appeal.

        In clearing the quarterback, former Florida Supreme Court justice Major Harding, who oversaw the hearing, wrote in a letter to Winston that “the preponderance of the evidence has not shown that you are responsible for any of the charge violations of the Code. Namely, I find that the evidence before me is insufficient to satisfy the burden of proof,” according to USA Today, which obtained a copy of the letter.
        The woman has until Jan. 13 to appeal the ruling
        THE THINKPROGRESS
        by Travis Waldron Posted on December 22, 2014 at 9:03 am

        1. And the retired judge’s opinion applies only to any action the FS Student Court might have taken. For instance, it has no bearing on a civil action. Of course that exceeds my legal knowledge by a mile.

    1. AES

      Excuse my P.S. but one thing is for sure…If Winston is in jail, for sex offenses, stealing Crab legs or ‘soda pop’, does BigP win the bet?

      1. OREGONINER,
        p.s. I wasn’t aware a bet was made.

        I never defended Winston’ actions. I said that Winston has managed to play well in the face of (albeit from his own poor choices) pending issues.

        I’m sure we can both agree that Jameis will be scrutinized and almost interrogated by teams before the draft next year, and well they should.

  31. No one decent that’s for sure. Jed sent a very clear message about coaching his team and the management that exists with no sane person would be willing to work with the Yorks after that.


  32. the 49ers have declined to allow defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to interview.

    Although teams can’t keep an assistant coach from leaving for a head-coaching job even if he’s under contract, they can keep an assistant from leaving for another job as an assistant. And that’s what the 49ers have decided to do, as they may want to keep Fangio in 2015.

  33. Ok, I know the guy is scandalous and a bit shady, but what about giving a guy like Bobby Petrino a shot? Balanced offense, does a lot with mediocre QB’s, and really coaches up average players. He took an average Arkansas team to a BCS bowl and came within a few yards from a win. Obviously it is a longshot…

    1. How would he ever command the players respect? It would be impossible. He is one of the most disliked people in football. He abandoned the Atlanta Falcons during the season via text message and crashed a motorcycle with a young and beautiful “graduate assistant” while his wife was at home.

      He’s a complete douche and would be hated before he ever walked though the doors. No thanks.

  34. Yea, he’s definitely got a past. Don’t think that players would hold an infidelity against him…Sure had the respect of the players at Arkansas, even after his cowardly act with ATL. Not very likely that he is on the 49ers radar, but he sure can run an offense.

    1. big_ten,
      His actions in quitting on the Falcons and leaving a very short written letter on the players lockers rather than facing them with the news may have blacklisted him in NFL circles.

      1. AES, You are probably correct about that and I don’t think he would take an OC job. I am not at all impressed with the names coming up in the search. I think Fangio or Tomsula deserve a promotion. They both do such a good job that I would hate to lose them. If they end up not being good HC’s, who knows who might be available at that time. (Hopefully better than the laundry list of losers and longshots we are looking at.)

  35. Grant, do you have an idea of when they would like to make a decision? How soon are they looking to get this done and start looking towards offseason player moves and the draft?

      1. HC.
        .
        Of course, it’ll never happen…but if the Niners brass REALLY want someone who values defense and a power run game…Saban would fit the mold.
        .
        And it isn’t as if they’re against hiring out of the college ranks.
        .
        THAT would be the big time hire fans would respect after ousting Harbaugh.
        .
        Again, it’ll never happen.
        .
        Just having fun.
        .
        .
        .
        *ALOHA*

  36. My guess would be spurrier if were not counting Johnson.

    Can you tell me who the only coach in college history to take over a winless team and take them to the national championships in his very first year is ?

    1. Jacob I don’t know the answer to that one. But my point about Malzahn is that it takes a whole different skill set to win in the NFL than it does in the SEC

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