Harbaugh to Atlanta?

From some site
How did this end? How did one of the most successful coaches in the NFL end up basically fired?

People close to Harbaugh portray him as increasingly becoming disgusted—that was the word used by several team sources—with the 49ers' front office.

This takes some careful explaining, and some of it is nuanced, but based on interviews with several sources close to Harbaugh, his departure from the 49ers came down to three main things:

1. His love of Michigan. Self-explanatory.

2. The behavior of his players. Several 49ers players became national news for alleged crimes, some of them ugly. One source explained that Harbaugh came to believe the behavior problem among players in the NFL is "almost impossible to fix." I've also been told—but still have been unable to totally flesh it out—there was a great divide between Harbaugh and the front office on how to handle players in trouble with the law. Harbaugh believes that in college he'd have more control over those issues.

3. He wanted total control.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
The first of those three reasons is the most important, but that last one is also vital. Harbaugh's clashes with the front office (and I'm told they were extensive and nasty), one 49ers assistant coach told me, "taught Jim a valuable lesson: that for him to be even more successful, he needs to have final say."

At Michigan, he likely will have final say over everything, from the players recruited to the type of beer sold in the stands. To an uber-control freak like Harbaugh, it will be heaven.

The Harbaugh-49ers divorce was a mutual act, and there is plenty of blame to go around. A talented, hot-head coach and an egotistical front office equaled great success (mostly) on the field. Yet Harbaugh's tenure was destined to be short due to Harbaugh's nature.

Jim Harbaugh coaching record
Season Team W-L
2004 University of San Diego 7-4
2005 University of San Diego 11-1
2006 University of San Diego 11-1
2007 Stanford 4-8
2008 Stanford 5-7
2009 Stanford 8-5
2010 Stanford 12-1
2011 49ers 13-3
2012 49ers 11-4-1
2013 49ers 12-4
2014 49ers 8-8
sports-reference.com

As predictable as that was, what will happen next is equally predictable: Harbaugh will win at Michigan and he will win a lot, because that's what he's done everywhere. He just did it at the highest of levels. In the NFL, they look at Harbaugh, and they see someone who will quickly and forcefully return Michigan football to a dominant power again.

Now comes the hard part for the 49ers: replacing a coach who went to three title games and a Super Bowl in four years. It was a pretty incredible run, and with Harbaugh gone, the pressure shifts to the 49ers front office.

The team will be under immediate pressure to win, and one of the things you will see happen is the 49ers struggle mightily, at least over the next two years. Harbaugh was that good. A dividing presence, yes, but one of the more purely talented coaches in the sport. In any sport.

San Francisco must hit a home run with its next hire, and that hire must win immediately, the way Harbaugh did.

One name to watch as a Harbaugh replacement is Pep Hamilton. I know Hamilton's stock has taken a hit recently, but I also know the 49ers still like him, and the front office may place emphasis on someone who can repair Colin Kaepernick's struggling game. Sure, Andrew Luck has recently been far from perfect, but he's been better than Kaepernick.

Harbaugh's legacy is thick with nuance. He was a tremendous coach who restored greatness to the 49ers. But he's also gone because that same drive that makes him great—and will likely lead to him winning a title at Michigan—also led to him having a fractured relationship with the front office.

 

LOL Pep Hamilton's offense never did much because they always ran too much. Notice how much more successful they've been with Chud on board. In fact the 49ers should hire Chud ASAP.

 

Maybe the Niners will hire Mike Smith lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It's now completely obvious that the 49ers players LOVED Harbaugh and the reports about locker room dissent were complete bullshit leaked by their fucking asshole GM.

 

Trent Baalke wears Cucked by Pete™

 

I don't even believe the talk of Harbaugh wanting TOTAL CONTROL. Baalke was irking people in that organization even before he became GM. He's a fucking dickhead.

 

San Fran will return to mediocrity

 

They're already there. Baalke is a douche, and Jed is in way over his head. Niner fans are incensed, including me.

 

At least Alex Smith made the playoffs.

 

FWIW I hear there's some solid coaching candidates out there. They'll settle on some spineless pussy that won't cross Baalke like Norv though.