From Niners ball boy to head coach - For 49er fans the wait is finally over as the once proud San Francisco football franchise held a press conference on Thursday to officially introduce and announce the hiring of John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan as their newest general manager and head coach. It's been a long time coming for the Niners who have been without a coach for over a month after deciding to relieve Chip Kelly of his duties following the final game of the regular season -- a 25-23 loss to Seattle. GM Trent Baalke was also let go following the loss, though his firing wasn't as big a surprise. Since then 49ers CEO Jed York searched high and low to find the next candidates to help pull the franchise from out of the rubble. And while the hiring of Shanahan would make him the team's fourth head coach in as many years, it finally feels like Jed got it right with this one.
Brought in to become the 20th head coach in franchise history, Kyle Shanahan who spent the last two seasons as offensive coordiantor of the Atlanta Falcons, grew up around the 49ers organization, serving as the team's ball boy as a teenager while his father Mike Shanahan served as offensive coordinator for three years. The elder Shanahan helped lead San Francisco to a victory in Super Bowl 29 before heading off to Denver where he would win another pair of Super Bowl's as head coach of the Broncos. With son Kyle now in the drivers seat, he'll try to instill the same success his father did with the team he grew up helping as he and his father become the seventh father-son coaching tandem in NFL history. But with Shanahan behind schedule due to Atlanta's trip to the Super Bowl which prevented the 49ers from hiring him until after the Falcons' season concluded, there's lots of work to be done in between now, the start of free-agency and April's Draft. One glaring hole is the vacancy at the team's defensive coordinator position. As for the offensive job, there won't be any interviews needed as Shanahan has expressed he'll be the one in charge calling the plays on offense.
What's different this time around compared to San Francisco's hiring's of the past, is the patience and commitment York figures to have with Shanahan and Lynch. With both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly each fired from the head coaching job only one season into their four year deals, it's obvious that the rebuild is going to take much longer than the time each of the past two coaches were given. Hoping the third time is a charm for the Niners after York's decision to part ways with Jim Harbaugh which proved to be a day in infamy and a decision that has left a sour taste in the mouths of 49er fans as the team's been trying to pick up the pieces ever since, both Shanahan and Lynch agreed to six-year pacts. Though both guys are new to their positions, the excitement by the 49er Faithful couldn't be greater heading into next season. And with a projected cap space of $87.6 Million dollars on the books, San Francisco could make a splash in the free-agent market.
One position they'll surely have their eyes on is at quarterback as the 49ers currently have zero QB's under contract. With Colin Kaepernick most likely to exercise his player option to opt out of his contract to play elsewhere in 2017 and Blaine Gabbert, Thad Lewis and Christian Ponder all free-agents, next year's staff could look entirely different at the quarterback position. Early rumors have Shanahan kicking the tires with several potential QB candidates such as Matt Schaub, Jimmy Garoppolo and Kirk Cousins. Having worked with Cousins for two years in Washington where Shanahan served as OC, the two have history together. The same can be said about Schaub who served three seasons with Shanahan as a Houston Texan and this past season as Matt Ryan's backup with the Falcons. Serving as Schaub's QB coach in 2007 before moving to OC for each of the next two years, Shanahan helped Schaub lead the league in passing in 2009, earning him his first of two Pro-Bowl appearances. Unfortunately, Schaub is entering his year 36 season and is over a year removed from his most recent start. But given the fact that he knows Shanahan's system already and could sign at a much more affordable rate as a free-agent opposed to having to be traded for like both Cousins and Garoppolo, it might not be such a bad move.
First we'll have to see what direction the Niners go in with the Draft and whether or not they'll take the risk of drafting their quarterback for the future with the second overall pick. Even so, Schaub starting while the rookie QB watches from the sideline and learns from a distance instead of being thrown into the mix right off the bat, might not be such a bad idea after all. Shanahan brings with him his impressive resume that helped the Atlanta Falcons put together the number one offense in the league as well as aid Matt Ryan to an MVP Award. Under Shanahan's tutelage, the Falcons ranked 1st in the league in points per game (33.8), 2nd in total yards (6,653), 3rd in passing (4,725), 5th in rushing (1,928) and tied for the fewest giveaways. Those stats are a day and night difference from what the 49ers produced on offense this past season, ranking among the league's worst in almost every category. However, Shanahan's most recent performance in the Super Bowl has drawn criticism for the way the final two quarters played out on offense. With Atlanta leading by 25-points midway thru the third quarter, the Falcons would fail to score again as New England pulled off the largest comeback in Super Bowl history to win its fifth title. Part of the blame was put on Shanahan for not running the ball as often as many say he should've, especially considering how well the run game worked in the first half. Then again it was Atlanta's defense which allowed their opponent to score on each of their final five possessions.
From commentator to GM - For John Lynch who attended school at Stanford and played collegiate football under 49ers great Bill Walsh, the general manager position is entirely new for the 9-time Pro-Bowler who played strong safety with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. Though he has zero front-office experience, Lynch has a plethora of football knowledge having played the game at a Hall of Fame level and serving the past eight years in the broadcast booth as a color commentator with the NFL on FOX. Despite his inexperience at the position, those who know Lynch best have had nothing but positive things to say after news broke that he would become the 49ers next general manager. The news came as a surprise to everyone considering his name was under the radar and was never mentioned by the media among candidates interviewing for the job. Lynch later revealed that it was his request that the interview process was kept a secret between him and 49ers brass to test whether or not he could trust 49ers CEO Jed York.
Foreign to his new position, Lynch wasted no time to make his first move by adding Broncos Vice President of Player Personnel Adam Peters to his staff. The hire garnered praise and many around the league have called the move a home run as Peters is said to be one of the most respected talent evaluators in the NFL, not to mention he comes from a winning background having been a part of three Super Bowl victories with the Broncos and Patriots. Lynch followed up that move by naming former Lions GM Martin Mayhew as the team's Senior Personnel Executive. With a long way still to go for the Niners, the franchise finally appears to heading in the right direction with the foundation in place to return the 49ers to prominence. But of course, only time will tell.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Week 17 - Hoping to close out the 2016 regular season on a positive note, something they've had very few of this year, the (2-13) San Francisco 49ers would play host to the rival (9-5-1) Seattle Seahawks. Of the 22 starters for San Francisco that played in Week 3 when these two teams last met, only 11 would be healthy enough to play in this one and it showed early on. With 49ers running back Carlos Hyde out with a knee injury, backup Shaun Draughn would get the call to start Sunday and would give Seattle a gift right out the gate. On the second play of the game, Draughn would fumble the hand-off exchange from QB Colin Kaepernick, recovered by the defense. With Seattle already in scoring range, the 49ers would comp the NFC West champion Seahawks with an early 3-point lead on Steven Hauschka's field goal.
However, Kaepernick and company would answer back quite nicely on their next possession by marching 75 yards as a trio of short passes would result in big gains which ultimately set up Draughn who redeemed himself by running it in for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Niners ahead, 7-3. After forcing a three and out on defense, San Francisco's next possession would also end in success, turning a 14-play drive into another touchdown as Draughn punched in yet another 1-yard score, this time converting on fourth down. But after taking a 14-3 lead following a hot start from Kaepernick who logged over 100 yards passing in the first quarter but threw for only another 115 the rest of the way, Seattle would storm back with 19 unanswered-points, seven of which coming off another 49er turnover as DuJuan Harris was stripped of the ball. With Seattle pinned back in their own end zone, San Francisco would manage to get two of those points back as a high snap on a punt attempt was airmailed out of bounds over the head of Seahawks punter Jon Ryan for a safety. The 49ers would inch even closer on a fourth quarter touchdown from Kaepernick to tight-end Garrett Celek to make it a 2-point game with under six minutes remaining.
But even with Seahawks backup quarterback Trevone Boykin taking over for Russell Wilson (258 yards passing, 1 touchdown) under center midway through the fourth, the 49ers were unable to get a stop on defense when they needed it most as Boykin and the Seattle offense successfully milked the clock, sealing the 25-23 victory. With Seattle's ticket to the playoffs already punched, the Seahawks improved to 10-5-1 on the year and will host the winner of the second NFC Wild Card -- Detroit Lions. As for San Francisco, the loss would drop the 49ers to 2-14 on the year, tying a franchise worse record of 14 losses in a season. It would also be their seventh consecutive loss at home, setting a new franchise record. With much speculation regarding the firing of 49ers GM Trent Baalke heading into the week, the team made the announcement official following the game and he wouldn't be shown the door alone. After inking head coach Chip Kelly to a contract last offseason, the 49ers decided to relieve Kelly of his duties just one year into his four year pact he signed last January. All this coming after someone paid to have a plane fly over Levi's Stadium before kickoff with a banner that read: Levis Stadium, The House That Harbaugh Built.
The move comes after another disappointing season by the Niners who will now be in search of a new GM as well as their fourth head coach in as many years as the state of the franchise continues to spiral out of control since 49ers CEO Jed York cut ties with Jim Harbaugh in favor of Baalke who is now without a job. Niner fans have been calling for Baalke's head since the decision and though it came much later than we would've hoped, better late than never as the team seeks a new direction. While the hiring of Kelly was looked at as being an experiment to try and help revive the luster of Colin Kaepernick's career who took the league by storm upon winning the starting role at QB, the firing comes off as unfair given what 49ers brass was asking of Kelly in such little time. Known as an offensive mastermind, the talent on offense simply wasn't there for Kelly to attempt to work his magic and the defense was equally as bad following the injury to All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman, giving up the most rushing yards in a season in NFL history. And with Kaepernick most likely the next to go as he has a 2017 player option and can opt out of his contract, next year's 49ers team figures to be an entirely different crop of players as they possess the No. 2 overall pick in April's Draft.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
The search is over. Less than two weeks after the San Francisco 49ers played their last down of football during the 2015 regular season which ended in an overtime victory over the division rival Rams, the team that finished the year with an overall record of 5-11 is already expected to take on the makeup of an entirely different franchise come the start of next season. Hours after the Niners' season finale, first-year head coach Jim Tomsula was relieved of his head coaching duties after a disappointing one and done experiment which saw San Francisco finish in the cellar of arguably the league's toughest division -- the NFC West. In search of the next heir of the throne, 49ers team owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke searched high and low before making their new hire. With such candidates as Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, Buccaneers OC Dirk Koetter, former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and former head coach Mike Shanahan who made his way to the final cut, it was former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly who won the job over Shanahan to become the 20th head coach in 49ers franchise history.
Kelly, who broke out onto the NFL head coaching scene after a successful career at the collegiate level with the Oregon Ducks, jump-started his NFL career with back-to-back 10-6 seasons before a disappointing 2015 campaign that was cut short as he was let go by the Philadelphia Eagles the second to last week of the regular season. After making a handful of deals and personnel changes that backfired as well as reportedly losing the locker room as the season wore on, Philadelphia went 6-9 under Kelly this season before winning their final game without him as Philly posted a second-place finish in the NFC East behind Washington. In three seasons with the Eagles, Kelly boasted an overall record of 26-21 with one playoff appearance in 2013 when he became the first head coach in franchise history and only the second coach in league history to win a division title in his first year. Viewed by many as an offensive mastermind, Kelly gets a second chance less than a month after being fired by the Eagles and will be introduced by the 49ers during a press conference expected sometime next week. Speaking of second chances, the hiring of Kelly might also spawn a second chance for one Niner that's only a few seasons removed from bursting on the scene himself.
Being looked upon as the anti-Jim Tomsula, Kelly brings with him to the Bay Area, a very innovative offensive system which 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick appears to fit perfectly. Despite a pair of disappointing seasons after taking the league by storm in his first season and a half at the helm of the Niners quarterback position, the acquisition of Kelly should breathe life back into Kaepernick's career with the team after it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that his time with the organization had come to an end. Instead, San Francisco's QB situation heading into the 2016 season should be one of the most interesting considering it wasn't long ago that rumors swirled regarding a possible trade involving Kaepernick to the Eagles while Chip was still in Philly. The two can now work together on putting their past behind them in hopes of a more successful second act. Because at this point, if anyone can groom Kaepernick into being the duel-threat quarterback he was once known as and give the San Francisco offense the shot in the arm it so desperately needs, it's Chip, right?
As for my personal opinion, I believe Kelly used the team's current quarterback situation as a major selling-point and won over the hearts of Baalke and York over in the interview room by explaining to them that they already have a diamond in the rough in QB Colin Kaepernick, and one that would fit his system to a tee. Unlike in Philly, the 54-year old Kelly won't be given the keys to the kingdom. In other words, he won't have control over personnel decisions quite like he did with the Eagles. But that will allow him to focus strictly on coaching while also putting GM Trent Baalke on the hot seat who desperately needs the Kelly hire to work out for the 49ers or his days could be numbered. Kelly also has a few things of his own that he'll need to work on in his second rodeo including the relations he has with his players and the way he conducts things in the clubhouse, both of which were hot topics and areas of concern during his often criticized tenure with the Eagles. How things shape out in Kelly's first season in the Bay Area is anyone's guess at this point, but one thing that is certain is that April's NFL Draft should be an interesting one for the 49ers who own the 7th overall pick are in need of playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Chip Kelly on landing the job in SF: "As one of the most historic franchises in the National Football League, I realize the high standards and expectations that this position demands and I embrace the challenges ahead."
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
After three consecutive trips to the NFC Championship followed by a disappointing 8-8 finish in 2014, the San Francisco 49ers brain trust decided to bid a farewell to head coach Jim Harbaugh as the two sides agreed to mutually part ways. With Harbaugh landing a job with his alma mater Michigan, the 49ers were left with a head coaching vacancy. After an extensive search to find the team's next head coach which included the interviewing of 8 other candidates, the 49ers had their man all along in Jim Tomsula. A name not widely known outside of the Bay Area, Tomsula has been on the 49ers' sidelines through the teachings of several head coaches with the likes of Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary and the recently departed Jim Harbaugh. And now, team owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke will hand the gavel to Tomsula.
Despite his inexperience, Tomsula does however have a 38-7 victory over the Cardinals under his belt in the one game that he served as an interim head coach after the firing of Mike Singletary in 2010. Before that, you'd have to go all way back to 2006 when Tomsula served as head coach of NFL Europe's Rhein Fire who finished the season 6-4 with Tomsula at the helm. But experienced or not, not a single player has expressed their doubts regarding the 49ers new hire. Players took to Twitter to congratulate and express just how happy they are for Tomsula and how excited they are to be playing under him which tells a little about the guy and how much of a players coach he is. Something Jim Harbaugh was not, according to murmurs in and out of the 49ers locker room. Since Tomsula joined the team as the defensive line coach in 2007, only the Baltimore Ravens have allowed fewer rushing yards per rush at 3.6, one tick fewer than San Francisco's 3.7.
From a fan standpoint, the decision comes as somewhat of a surprise given the 49ers aren't too far from being Super Bowl contenders once again and yet they decided to hire someone with little to no head coaching experience. Not to mention the mountain high expectations Tomsula inherits from coach Harbaugh who went 49-22-1 during his tenure with the Niners and led the team to three consecutive NFC Championships in his first three seasons, a feat no other coach has accomplished. But perhaps Tomsula's 8-year familiarity with the team and its personnel will make up for that, knowing from the inside what kinks need to be worked on in order to help the team take that final step. With defensive coordinator Vic Fangio reportedly on his way out and offensive coordinator Greg Roman already agreeing to join the Buffalo Bills under the same job title, the 49ers will feature an entirely new coaching staff under Tomsula.
Whoever Tomsula decides to hire to stand alongside him on the sidelines or in the booth, will be given the task on offense to help mentor and groom QB Colin Kaepernick to regain his form after a down season which I blame in large part on Greg Roman's misuse of the duel-threat QB and poor play-calling. As for the defensive side of things, Vic Fangio's replacement will be taking over a defense which ranked fifth overall this year despite being without one of if not the best linebacker tandems in the league for most of the season.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Only a month after the last snap of the 2013 NFL season and into the offseason and we've already got one of the more juicy coaching situations developing in the Bay Area. Since the firing of coach Steve Mariucci following the 2002 season, the San Francisco 49ers have looked high and low in search of a winning head coach to no avail. That was until 2011 when the 49ers handed the reigns to Jim Harbaugh who made the leap to the pros after a successful run at Stanford where he coached the program to its first Bowl win since 1996. Even prior to his tenure at Stanford, Harbaugh had tasted victory while at the University of San Diego where he won consecutive Pioneer League titles. So it was no surprise Harbaugh translated his winning ways to the professional level. The speed he did it in, however, was.
Sure he inherited a team rich in young talent, but it was one in need of guidance which Harbaugh supplied along with a system to buy into. Since the marriage that landed him in San Francisco, the 49ers have been one of the most winningest teams in the National Football League. Through three seasons, the 49ers are 41-14-1 (including playoffs) and have made it to three straight NFC title games as well as a Super Bowl appearance under Harbaugh who was named Coach of the Year in his first season and has done virtually everything but hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Something he came one play shy of in 2012. All things considered, the 49ers have finally found themselves a stable coach. However, reports as recent as last week had the 49ers front-office on the verge of sending Harbaugh on his way. News broke out that the relationship between Harbaugh and Niners GM Trent Baalke was a rocky one and has been for some time once trade talks began brewing with San Francisco possibly shipping Harbaugh to Cleveland after the Browns contacted the 49ers and inquired about their coach.
The negotiations that didn't last long before being put to bed were more than enough to send the sports world and social media networks alike, buzzing for days. Team owner Jed York confirmed the story by saying talks were made and discussions were had but nothing further came of it. But the first mistake the 49ers made was listening to the offer in the first place which regardless if the deal goes through or not, can only spell doom for a front-office and their relationship with a head coach moving forward, not to mention one that has already bumped heads with the GM. With the 49ers on the cusp of greatness and a sixth Super Bowl title on the horizon, the team would be stupid to show Harbaugh the door simply because there's no better coach that's currently available to fill the void.
As for those that are pointing the finger at Harbaugh and believe he's the one threatening to leave in favor of a head coaching position in the college ranks, consider this: Never has an NFL coach that endured such success as Harbaugh has, downgraded back to coach at the collegiate level. Why would one possibly leave a team that has made it to three straight NFC Championships and is nesting one of the brightest nucleus' of young NFL players for a college program he would have to recruit for and more than likely build from the ground up? Reports also claim Harbaugh has demanded that he wants more power in the organization as well as more money, both of which the 49ers coach has denied ever saying during an interview with Sports Illustrated where he also had nothing but positive things to say about the organization. Unlike many other feuds we've seen between a head coach and the front-office, Harbaugh has not lost the locker room as 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin told reporters shortly after agreeing to re-sign with the team on a two-year, $12 Million deal. Boldin who led the team in receiving this past season, also explained that coach Harbaugh was one of the main reasons he decided to return in the Bay Area for two more years instead of testing the market as a free-agent.
The funniest part of all might be that the media which has portrayed this whole thing as the downfall of the franchise, has already declared Harbaugh close to being on his way out after this season despite the two years remaining on his contract. The premature assumptions of Harbaugh needing an extension before his current contract is up only fuels this overblown story about the Niners possibly looking to shop their coach. A lot can happen in the course of a year including a Super Bowl victory which would be the perfect antidote to solve the ongoing dispute between Harbaugh and Baalke who's done nothing but draft star-studded talent since being named GM in 2005. While it's the GM who 49ers owner Jed York feels isn't going anywhere anytime soon and has leaned on the side of Harbaugh being the more expendable of the two according to sources, there's plenty of time between now and the start of the season for both sides to mend fences and squash this whole beef if in fact there is one.
Though often having a flair for the dramatic, Harbaugh has described both he and Baalke as being, "two competitive people that want the same thing." If that's true, they'll settle their differences and work things out for the betterment of the team. As long as San Francisco is putting up W's in the win column, the two can and will coexist on the team's quest for six.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
