The next coach of the San Francisco 49ers have some big shoes to fill considering the amount of success that Jim Harbaugh bought the team in such a short amount of time. The Harbaugh era is officially over after he accepted a position at the University of Michigan and now someone new will be taking over as big free agency decisions loom. With several big-named players facing contract issues along with a struggling quarterback, is San Francisco a hard sell over teams like the Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears?
Several candidates are making their rounds around several teams in need of a head coach which leaves everyone competing for the best. Pep Hamilton, Dan Quinn, Josh McDaniels, Doug Marrone and Mike Shanahan are just a few names floating around from interview to interview as teams try to sell the potential of their franchises. The 49ers are currently dealing with the potential exits of Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis which hurts their sales pitch to potential coaches.
According to CSNBayArea.com, the 49ers are a hard sell because Colin Kaepernick holds a specific skill set any coach and coordinator must be willing to work with a develop. Harbaugh and Greg Roman got a lot of the blame this season for the losses and their inability to help Kaepernick succeed into a better pocket passer. Former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia is attempting to help Kaepernick in the offseason.
"You have to incorporate the mental side," Garcia said, via CSNBayArea.com. "We can always be better mentally. We can understand defenses better. We can understand what our offense is trying to do. How we're attacking defenses. I'd definitely want to go over film with him, and talk about decisions he made, talk about decisions he didn't make, and how he can improve decisions on the field."
There are also issues with the potential departures of Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore. Both players have stressed that they would ideally like to return to San Francisco and continue their tenure with the team, but they would need contract extensions and San Francisco might not offer the right amount of money. The 49ers have Carlos Hyde and Kendall Hunter who are capable of handling the running back spot while Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson and Bruce Ellington take care of the wide receiver position. The 49ers are a franchise with a lot of potential, but the general manager will have to make some serious adjustments to bring in the best coach.
