Hiring Jim Tomsula Was the Right Choice for the 49ers

Former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula will officially be at the helm of the San Francisco 49ers in 2015.

Tomsula becomes the 19th head coach of the 49ers after the ugly departure of Jim Harbaugh at the end of the 2014 season.

“Our organization is excited to have Jim Tomsula leading this football team,” said 49ers general manager Trent Baalke via the team's website. “We have had the privilege of working alongside Jim for the past eight seasons.  He is a proven leader, teacher and mentor, and we look forward to seeing him apply his craft and vision to our team.”

The promotion ends what has been an exhausting search for a new head coach in the wake of Harbaugh's release. The 49ers interviewed other candidates such as Mike Shanahan, Adam Gase and Dan Quinn. 

In the end, Baalke and CEO Jed York went with the safe option.

But this prompts questions whether or not this choice was the right one. Tomsula is a defensive-minded coach on a team whose defense already stands at the upper echelon in the NFL. It's the offense that needs help.

Tomsula's head coaching experience is also limited. He had a stint in NFL Europe coaching the Rhein Fire in 2006 and then took over as interim coach for the 49ers in 2010 after the firing of then-head coach Mike Singletary.

Then there is the question about what happens within the rest of the coaching staff. Eric Branch of SFGate.com has reported that the 49ers have parted ways with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, secondary coach Ed Donatell and linebackers coach Jim Leavitt.

And there is still the vital opening at offensive coordinator.

Above all else, Tomsula was the safest bet for Baalke, York and the rest of San Francisco's front office—an argument made further by Bleacher Report's Sean Tomlinson.

Make no mistake, Tomsula will have his work cut out for him. He'll need to tab a strong coaching staff that can pick up where Harbaugh and Co. left off and hopefully improve what was an underachieving season.

So was Tomsula the right man for the job? Let's try to answer that.

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

Best Fit for the Front Office

As sad as things have been for those running the franchise, Tomsula's promotion certainly doesn't paint guys like Baalke and York in a positive light. Tomsula won't be the headstrong, frequently abrasive personality that was Harbaugh.

And that's exactly what the front office wanted.

Ray Ratto of CSN Bay Area went into detail about this shortly after the official announcement when he wrote:

"

Tomsula’s selection is, as we knew any choice would be, a victory for front office harmony and against the chaos of perceived genius. Tomsula has had a large group of supporters within the building throughout his time in San Francisco, but it is clear that he comes to the big office not as the first choice, but as the last one.

Time will tell whether being last actually was better. For the moment, this will take some selling.

"

Indeed, this is a victory for the front office. Heated confrontations between head coach and the guys up top won't be as much of an issue as it had been in previous years. Baalke and York got their man, like it or not.

Some may argue that Tomsula will merely be a yes-man for the franchise—a puppet who does exactly what the front office desires.

This isn't fair to Tomsula in any sense. But it certainly seems to be the tone.

USA TODAY Sports

Best Fit for the Players

So the front office got its way with the Tomsula hiring. But it's worth arguing that this promotion is best for the guys on the field. After all, it is talent that wins games. 

The elongated dispute between Harbaugh, Baalke and York did have a trickle-down effect upon the players themselves. At least according to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice when he spoke of the issue back in December.

Vincent Frank of Edraft.com drew a comparison to how the team played prior to both of Tomsula's promotions.

One can only speculate how the players themselves felt under Harbaugh. While the majority of players expressed public support—as showcased in the final game of 2014—it's impossible to completely rule out the existence of consternation within.

Since the promotion, a vast number of 49ers players—both past and present—have displayed widespread support of the decision.

Former 49ers like Jesse Sapolu and Takeo Spikes were excited about the move. Current guys like wide receiver Anquan Boldin, offensive guard Alex Boone and tight end Vernon Davis have also voiced their support.

The hiring has also led to speculation that veterans like running back Frank Gore and defensive end Justin Smith will return to the 49ers in 2015. Both players love Tomsula, per Frank.

Tomsula does have a strong rapport with this team. He's coached a lot of the players and knows their strengths and weaknesses. It's not as if the 49ers are bringing in a head coach who has merely seen these guys based on film and in-game study alone.

Such support speaks measures, and signs indicate that a sizable portion of the 49ers roster is already behind the new head coach.

That's never a bad thing.

USA TODAY Sports

Best Fit for the Scheme

Tomsula's first few months will not be easy. He'll have to figure out which coordinators and coaches will bring out the best in a talented, yet underachieving roster. Replacing guys like Fangio doesn't happen so simply.

Additionally, Tomsula will have to address an underwhelming offense—exploit its strengths and improve upon its weaknesses.

We know what those are. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick regressed in 2014. The passing attack ranked No. 30 in the league for the second straight year. That will have to improve along with Kaepernick's play.

Boone was one player who hinted at Tomsula focusing on the 49ers' strength. In an interview with Damon Bruce of 95.7 The Game, Boone stated, "He's been around us enough. And we've talked several times about, 'Hey, we're gonna run the rock, and this is how it's gonna be.' And that's what's exciting to me."

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

While simply running the ball more won't solve all the 49ers' offensive issues, it at least suggests a return to an identity—something San Francisco lacked on offense this season.

Bringing in an offensive coordinator who can upgrade the offense will be critical. The 49ers have expressed interest in former Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman, per Chris Cwik of CBS Sports.

USA TODAY Sports

The offense may be in limbo, but the already-strong defense should get a boost.

Hiring a new coordinator here will be critical as well. But Tomsula apparently has plans to alter the defense to play to its greatest strengths.

According to David Fucillo of Niners Nation, the 49ers are expected to employ a 4-3 defense in 2015 based on his conversations with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller.

The linebacker trio would employ Chris Borland, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. The D-line would consist of Aldon Smith, Aaron Lynch, Justin Smith (if he returns), Tank Carradine, Glenn Dorsey, Ian Williams, Quinton Dial and Tony Jerod-Eddie.

An added bonus of getting the best talent on the field is that it helps set up the 49ers for a post-Justin Smith era.

Perhaps the best reason for this fit is in the fact that San Francisco still has plenty of talent on this roster. It's not as if Tomsula is inheriting a mess that lacks sufficient talent. This isn't Mike Nolan taking over the 49ers in 2005.

USA TODAY Sports

Best Fit, per the Experts

Some 49ers fans might be scratching their heads at Tomsula's hiring, but it appears as if very few analysts are doing the same.

Former 49ers head coach and current NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci was one of a number of experts who viewed this move as solid—having stated so via the team's website and his personal Twitter account.

Paul Gutierrez of ESPN was also generally favorable of the move, although he does hearken back to the notion that Tomsula is the "textbook hire" for the front office.

But the move appears to be largely favorable. Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe and Chris Simms also broke down Tomsula's promotion with positive reviews.

Pundits like these are taking into account what we have already covered combined with their in-depth understanding of the 49ers' needs and how Tomsula can fill them. 

Tomsula certainly isn't the biggest name out there nor does he stand in contrast to what we expected the front office to do. But it's hard to argue against the largely favorable results from analysts and players alike. One can only speculate what the reaction would be had Shanahan, or someone else, been hired.

USA TODAY Sports

Great Fit, But...

Tomsula appears to be the choice who would make everyone happy within the organization from top to bottom. 

That's fine and all, but the real test is what faces Tomsula and the 49ers moving forward. The 49ers will now be without the majority of their coaching staff. Replacing someone like Fangio will not be an easy task even if Tomsula's focus is on the defensive side of the ball.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reported that Tomsula will add former Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, although nothing official has been stated, per the report. Tarver was a linebackers coach with San Francisco from 2005 through 2010.

A bigger concern will, of course, be the offense. Initial speculation led many to believe the 49ers would hire an offensive mind here. But this didn't happen. So it falls upon Tomsula and the front office to land someone who can revamp this unit.

Another poignant issue is convincing the fans that Tomsula is the right man for the job. Ratto described this to some detail when comparing the different personalities of Harbaugh and Tomsula. Someone might pay to see a high-profile coach like Harbaugh.

Not so much with Tomsula.

But if Tomsula is able to conduct a winning franchise in coming years, fans won't care anymore whether this decision was a mere ploy by the front office. Success or failure will ultimately determine whether Tomsula was the right man for the job.

He has a difficult task ahead of him. 

Fortunately, many of the pieces are in place to make this thing work.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers. Be sure to check out his entire archive on 49ers news, insight and analysis.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.