San Francisco 49ers: Five Potential Candidates To Replace Mike Singletary
The San Francisco 49ers were expected by many to win the NFC West. While this could still happen, the team has gotten off to a terrible start and dug themselves a big hole. It remains to be seen if they can climb out of it.
Mike Singletary takes his team on the road to face a tough Atlanta Falcons team. The Falcons, currently at 2-1, are coming off a thrilling overtime win against the Saints.
The 49ers are at a very precarious point as high expectations are being met by poor performances. The 49ers desperately need a win, and it will be a tall order against the Falcons.
The 49ers also must solve their road woes. They have now lost eight of their last nine road games, dating back to last season. Their lone road win during that stretch was in 2009 against the St. Louis Rams, who only won one game all of last year.
In both road contests this season, first against Seattle, then last week at Kansas City, they were abysmal. The 49ers have the talent to play with anyone in the league, as they showed against the Saints. However, they need to play error free football and execute smoothly to have any chance in Atlanta.
The firing of offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye is a wake up call to the players and the rest of the coaching staff. With each loss, the flame grows under the hot seat that Mike Singletary currently occupies.
It is quite conceivable that the 49ers will start out 0-5, as they have to face a resurgent Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, following the upcoming game against the Falcons.
The schedule eases up after the Eagle game, so even a 1-4 start still gives the 49ers a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. At 0-5, there will be no room for error and the scrutiny that Mike Singletary will face will be incredible.
This is when players and assistant coaches often abandon ship and start focusing on themselves and their stats, as opposed to the team. Right now, this has not yet happened, but with a couple more losses, it is quite possible.
If Mike Singletary loses the team and the players stop listening to him, Jed York will not wait around. Mike Singletary will be gone.
I, for one, actually like what Singletary brings to the 49ers. The positive motivation, work ethic and focus on team unity is a very compelling factor favoring him. He does, however, need strong coordinators, as he is not an X's and O's guy. I do hope the Niners can turn it around, as Mike Singletary is a good man and is giving it his all.
In the business world, you would look at Singletary as the CEO, with the vision for success and the ability to convey that vision to others. To be successful, he would need strong vice presidents, middle managers and workers to handle the tactical work necessary to carry out that vision.
If people quit believing in that vision or if Singletary surrounds himself with poor assistants, then the entity will fail. Right now, Singletary's stock is at an all time low and only a few victories will get it moving upwards.
If the vision fails or his message falters, Singletary will be ousted. If this happens, there are some good options to replace him. Let's take a look at five possible candidates.
Candidate # 5: Jeff Tedford
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As a possible successor to Mike Singletary, Jeff Tedford is my fifth rated candidate. Tedford is familiar with the Bay Area scene and is very well respected as a stand up guy, with a very good football mind.
Jeff Tedford came to Cal in 2002 and turned around a terrible Cal program, into a perennial winner. Although Tedford's teams have not yet made it to the Rose Bowl and have had some bad losses, what he has been able to do in Berkeley is nothing short of amazing.
During his tenure, Tedford has led Cal to eight straight winning seasons and seven consecutive bowl appearances. The amazing thing about this is with the very tough academic standards at Cal and the antiquated facilities, Tedford has not had an edge in recruiting. He has continued to turn out solid teams despite these hurdles.
Jeff Tedford is also widely respected as a coach that has developed several NFL quarterbacks. These QB's include Trent Dilfer, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, David Carr, Aaron Rodgers and Kyle Boller. Some of these players never made it big in the NFL, but in college, Tedford helped them get the most out of their ability.
Another interesting factor is the current economic climate facing the California public colleges and universities. Cal just dropped five varsity sports: baseball, men's and women's gymnastics, women's lacrosse and rugby. This was due to severe budget shortfalls in the Cal athletic department.
In 2009, Jeff Tedford was the highest paid employee in the entire University of California system, at roughly $2.8 million. I'm not talking about just Cal Berkeley, I'm talking about the entire UC system. With the perilous state of finances at UC Berkeley, if Jeff Tedford wanted to leave, Cal would not likely stand in his way.
Jeff Tedford has repeatedly said that he wants to be at Cal and has strong ties to the community. His son Quinn is actually a reserve wide receiver with the Bears. Tedford also seems to really relish the role of teacher and mentor to the young men he coaches. He would not be able to do this as much in the NFL, as he has done in the college ranks.
Jeff Tedford may, however, decide that it's too difficult to win at Cal and he has taken the program as far as he can. This could lead him to a decision to consider other opportunities.
The biggest risk for the 49ers in hiring Tedford is his lack of NFL coaching experience. Tedford did play in the CFL, but his coaching experience is only at the collegiate level. While I do think Tedford has proved he can coach and would be a decent hire for the 49ers, there are other options that I rank higher.
Candidate # 4: Herm Edwards
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Candidate number four is Herm Edwards. Edwards was a head coach for the New York Jets from 2001 through 2005, then moved to the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 through 2008. His eight years of NFL head coaching experience includes four playoff appearances.
In addition to his eight years of head coaching experience, Herm Edwards also spent nine years as an NFL assistant with Kansas City and Tampa Bay. Edwards is very well respected in NFL circles and his experience would be an asset to the 49ers.
Herm Edwards also played in the NFL as a defensive back for ten years. You have probably seen his recovery of the blunder that was Joe Pisarcik's fumble and Edwards' subsequent score dozens of times on various NFL blooper shows.
In another bit of humor, Edwards also gained fame for his comments to a reporter's questions following a tough loss. Edwards said, "You play to win the game. Hello? You play to win the game." This comment has been immortalized in a long running beer commercial.
In any case, the 49ers would likely consider someone with Edwards' coaching experience. I believe the main drawbacks surrounding Edwards are twofold. The teams he led had a combined record of 54-74. In addition, Edwards' main expertise is on the defensive side of the football. The 49ers next head coach will likely be someone who the Niners believe will help energize the offense.
Candidate # 3: Mike Holmgren
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Mike Holmgren could be an ideal candidate for the San Francisco 49ers, if they decide to replace Mike Singletary. Holmgren is originally from San Francisco and an opportunity to lead his boyhood team may be too much to pass up.
Holmgren also was an assistant coach in San Francisco from 1986-1991, first under Bill Walsh and later, George Seifert. While a member of the 49er coaching staff, the 49ers won two Super Bowl's.
Holmgren has an extensive head coaching resume, encompassing 17 NFL seasons. In Holmgren's seven seasons in Green Bay, the Packers made the playoffs six times and played in two Super Bowls, winning once, following the 1996 season.
Holmgren was also the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks for ten seasons. His Seahawk teams reached the playoffs six times in those ten years, including one Super Bowl appearance. Seattle lost a close and highly controversial game to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
In addition to coaching, Holmgren also has many years of executive experience, as a GM. He currently serves as the president of the Cleveland Browns, assuming that role about a year ago.
I believe that Mike Holmgren would have been an outstanding coach of the 49ers five to ten years ago. Now, there are two concerns I would have, in bringing him aboard.
The first issue is that Holmgren is now the president of the Cleveland Browns. The Niners would undoubtedly have to fork over draft picks and a hefty sum of money to the Browns, in order to get him out of Cleveland. Holmgren would also demand complete control over all personnel decisions and I'm not sure the 49ers would be willing to do that.
I also sensed a change in Holmgren in his last two years with the Seahawks. He seemed like he was losing the drive and the passion to handle both a coaching and executive management job at the same time. At 62 years of age, I'm not sure Holmgren has the stamina and the energy to succeed at both jobs any longer.
Nevertheless, as a native San Franciscan with a strong track record for success, Mike Holmgren would excite the 49er faithful. Visions of the glory days of the 49ers would come back into vogue.
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Candidate # 2: Jon Gruden
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A very intriguing candidate to replace Mike Singletary, would be Jon Gruden. Gruden also has Bay Area ties, having coached at the University of Pacific, in Stockton. In addition, he was an assistant with the 49ers, under Bill Walsh, for two years. In San Francisco, Gruden became a proponent of Walsh's west coast offense.
Gruden also has assistant coaching stints with Green Bay, under Mike Holmgren, and in Philadelphia, where he was the offensive coordinator. Gruden's knowledge of offense would also be a big asset to the 49ers.
In 1998, Jon Gruden was hired by Al Davis to be the Oakland Raider head coach. Although the two often feuded because of their strong personalities, Gruden was quite successful in Oakland.
In his four year stint with the Raiders, Gruden never had a losing record and took the team to the playoffs twice. By 2001, however, both Gruden and Davis felt like they had enough of each other.
In 2002, Gruden moved on to Tampa Bay, where he coached for seven years. In his first season with the Bucs, Gruden took his team to the Super Bowl and they would face his former team the Raiders.
Al Davis desperately wanted to beat Jon Gruden and Gruden wanted to crush Davis' Raiders. Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl and Gruden was a world champion in his first year with the team. In all, Gruden went on to lead the Bucs to three playoff appearances over his seven year head coaching run in Tampa Bay.
Jon Gruden holds a career coaching record of 95-81.
Gruden combines excellent knowledge of offense, a very good track record of NFL coaching success, has previous ties to the team and still has the passion and enthusiasm necessary to drive a team to excellence.
Currently, Gruden is a color analyst for ESPN. You can tell that the fire is still burning inside him and if the 49ers were looking for a replacement for Mike Singletary, I believe Jon Gruden would be an excellent choice.
Candidate # 1: Jim Harbaugh
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Jim Harbaugh is my number one candidate to replace Mike Singletary. Through sheer will of personality, Harbaugh has transformed the Stanford Cardinal into a top ten football powerhouse.
Stanford, with its extremely high academic standards, is one of the toughest places to recruit, yet Harbaugh has brought in top tier talent. What is even more amazing is how the Cardinal play. Harbaugh has transformed Stanford from a finesse team into one that is tough and dominant, especially along the offensive line.
As a former quarterback, Harbaugh understands the need for a strong offensive line. He would help the young 49er line develop, just as he has done at Stanford.
Harbaugh also has arguably the top college quarterback in the country, playing for him at Stanford. Andrew Luck, a sophomore, leads a well balanced offense, under Harbaugh's direction. Harbaugh has taught Stanford how to beat their opponents with a physical running game or with a diverse passing attack led by Luck.
Andrew Luck may well be the first overall pick and almost certainly the first quarterback selected in the 2011 draft, if he decides to leave school early. My sense is that Jim Harbaugh would be much more apt to leave, if Luck departed.
I am a Cal alum, so it's in my blood to dislike Stanford, which I do. However, I must give my respect to Stanford and Jim Harbaugh for the job he has done with the Cardinal.
Harbaugh was in the NFL from 1987-2001. He is young enough to relate to today's player and get the most out of them. With his NFL background, Harbaugh should also be able to find quality assistants to augment his staff.
Jim Harbaugh has only been a head coach in college at the University of San Diego from 2004-06, where he was 29-6. Then in 2007, he took over the Stanford program and has transformed it into a national power.
Harbaugh's knowledge of the NFL will enable him to overcome the issue of him never holding a head coaching job in the league. He is a fierce competitor, understands exactly what he wants out of his team and has the expertise to get them to their goal.
I believe Jim Harbaugh would be an outstanding candidate, if the 49ers were making a change. I also think he would get along very well with 49er president Jed York. If Harbaugh does end up as the 49er head coach at some point, I can envision a long and successful run, with him at the helm.
Mike Singletary, The Ice Is Melting
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We have all heard of global warming, the demise of the ozone layer and the rapid melting of the polar ice caps. That analogy and symbolism also applies to Mike Singletary's tenure as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers have dramatically under achieved thus far in the 2010 season. Looking at the upcoming schedule, as I noted earlier, it is quite possible that the Niners start out 0-5. They would need to go something like 8-3, or more likely 9-2, the rest of the way, to even have a shot at the playoffs.
If it appears that Mike Singletary is over matched or if his players stop playing for him, which could happen if they struggle in the next two weeks, I believe that current 49er president Jed York will make a change. York is a big fan of Singletary, but if it looks like he has lost his team, York will not hesitate to pull the trigger.
As I mentioned earlier, I do hope the 49ers get it together and I do think they can still make the playoffs, even if they lose their next two games. However, it would behoove them to defeat Atlanta, especially since they made a loud statement in firing Jimmy Raye. If the Niners continue to lose, then even more of the blame will shift to Singletary.
This is the closest thing to a must win game that Mike Singletary has ever faced in his coaching career. He better right the ship quickly, before the ice melts, or he will be sunk.
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