Team president Jed York plans to resurrect the San Francisco
49ers by first hiring an experienced general manager and asking him
to find Mike Singletary’s successor as coach.
By Cam Inman – Contra Costa Times
Team president Jed York plans to resurrect the San Francisco 49ers by first hiring an experienced general manager and asking him to find Mike Singletary’s successor as coach.
So how will York find the right general manager, a role that’s been officially vacant since Scot McCloughan left the franchise in April?
“My uncle is probably the best person out there for me to talk to,” York said at a news conference Monday, less than 24 hours after he ended Singletary’s 2{-season tenure. “There are a lot of people out there that I will talk to. But my uncle is the person I’ll get the most advice from.”
That uncle would be former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., who led the franchise to five Super Bowl wins, as York reminded everyone.
Pressed further to explain who else might assist in the search, York offered up the Kraft family, owners of the New England Patriots. Ironically, the Krafts consulted the Yorks a decade ago before hiring Bill Belichick and going on their run to three Super Bowl titles.
York said there is “no timetable” to find a general manager. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to serve as interim coach for Sunday’s season finale at Candlestick against the Arizona Cardinals, who share a 5-10 record with the 49ers.
“I want to talk to a lot of people this week,” York said. “There are a lot of guys experienced and qualified that are not with teams.”
Among the potential general managers, according to the NFL Network, are Floyd Reese, Randy Mueller and Ted Sundquist, as well as current 49ers vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke.
“When you look at some of the teams that have been successful out there, it’s not about hiring the flashiest name for your GM or head coach,” York said. “It’s about making sure that the GM and the head coach are really working together, and I think that’s why you need your general manager, and your general manager is going to be the person that is going to live and die with the coach.”
York said neither his father, John, nor front-office confidant Paraag Marathe would be involved in the interview process for general managers. All three were, however, involved in the coaching search that resulted in Mike Nolan’s 2005 hiring.
York described his ideal general manager as “a guy grounded and behind the scenes, putting together the draft and not answering questions with the media on a daily basis.”
As for the next coach, York acknowledged candidates will emerge from some who are fired in the coming week, some who are already “on the street,” and some up-and-coming coordinators.
“It’s not me putting a list together,” York said. “The GM will have the ability to hire whoever he wants as head coach.”
York said he has not yet requested permission to talks with anyone employed by another team, including Cleveland Browns president and one-time 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren.
Tomsula declined to name either a starting quarterback for Sunday’s finale. Alex Smith, Troy Smith, David Carr or perhaps even practice-squad candidate Nate Davis are his options. Tomsula’s plan: “We’re going to win.”
Singletary didn’t win enough since replacing Nolan after seven games of the 2008 season. Singletary was 18-22 overall. Also fired by York were assistants Al Harris (pass rush specialist) and Vantz Singletary (Mike Singletary’s nephew and the inside linebackers coach).
“It’s a business. You have to look at it like that,” tight end Vernon Davis said of Singletary’s firing. “He didn’t let the team down. Singletary’s been a big inspiration in my life. He helped me become a Pro Bowler and do all the things I’ve been doing. We, all the guys, still respect him for everything he’s done here and the man he is.
“He put out a pretty good message,” Davis added. “Every day he would prepare a speech. He’d talk about life as well as football.”
