Tony Sparano Hired as 49ers TE Coach: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

After being passed up as permanent head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tony Sparano doesn't have to go far to assume his new position.    

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 53-year-old coach will be in charge of the San Francisco 49ers' tight ends:

Sparano served as Oakland's interim head coach for 12 games this past season after the firing of Dennis Allen and logged a 3-9 record. The Raiders ultimately decided to hire Jack Del Rio as head coach, but the manner in which they did so didn't go over well with Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, per Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman:

With the imperfect ending to Sparano's Raiders tenure in the past, he will remain in the Bay Area and take on an interesting challenge with the Niners.

Sparano has a lengthy and impressive resume at the NFL level. He served as a tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys previously. He was an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, and he was the head coach of both the Miami Dolphins and Raiders.

While Sparano's latest head coaching venture had more downs than ups, he did manage to beat the 49ers this past season. According to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, that may have played a role in the Niners hiring him:

With Vernon Davis coming off a season that saw him catch just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns, Sparano will be expected to help him return to Pro Bowl form.

If he can do that, then Sparano will undoubtedly be a great hire, and the 49ers just may return to the playoffs as well.    

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