Four weeks, one rejection, and 10 interviews later, the San Francisco 49ers finally have their next offensive coordinator, one Jimmy Raye II.
Raye comes to the Niners after last serving as the Jets Running Back Coach. He has 12 seasons of offensive coordinator experience with six different teams.
In that time not one of his offensive units ever finished in the top five of the four areas that count—total offense, rushing offense, passing offense, and points scored.
Raye's best performance as an offensive coordinator came in 2000 with the Kansas City Chiefs when they finished eighth overall in total offense. His overall career average in total offense is 19th.
His rushing offense as a coordinator isn't much better. In 1984 as offensive coordinator of the then Los Angeles Rams, Raye's offense finished second in the league in rushing. This was accomplished with one of the all-time great running backs, Erick Dickerson.
But a career average of finishing 18th overall in rush offense is mediocre at best.
Raye's pass offense only gets marginally better.
In 2000, the Kansas City Chiefs finished fifth overall in passing offense with Raye at the helm as offensive coordinator. But on average, Raye's offense's are 17th in total pass offense.
Hardly anything to write home about.
As for points scored in a season, Raye's best season for that was while he was with the Kansas City Chiefs when they finished eighth overall in points scored in 1999. For the rest of his career his offenses have averaged a pedestrian 19th overall in points scored.
Still nothing to brag about.
Is Jimmy Raye the best man for the job?
Only time will tell that.
When I first heard of his hiring I was really not thrilled at all. Even now I am not totally sold on his hiring.
It almost feels like a step backwards.
On further review, though, his good years with the Chiefs included designing plays for Anthony Gonzalez to help make him the leagues' best tight end. And that was done with an only slightly above average quarterback in Elvis Grbac.
Maybe he is the one that will finally help Vernon Davis become the tight end he should be.
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