Potential 49ers Head Coach Candidates for 2011: Is Jon Gruden Destined for SF?

The 49ers had high expectations coming into this year. After finishing 8-8, another year in Jimmy Raye's offense for Alex Smith, Michael Crabtree for a full year and horrendous NFC West competition made it seem as though the Niners had the division locked up for the 2010 season.

Nothing could be further from the truth. After firing Raye and going 0-5, many people wrote the 49ers off completely after only five weeks.

Now at midseason, the 2-6 49ers are only two games out of first place in the division. They have five division games ahead of them, but even if they dominate for the rest of the season, there is no way Mike Singletary can keep his job.

Singletary was promoted from linebackers coach to interim coach after coach Mike Nolan was fired in the middle of the season. Singletary was a great motivator and completely changed the culture of the 49ers, beginning his reign with a memorable tirade and booting Vernon Davis off the field in the same game.

Singletary simply does not know the intricacies of football. It is evident that he finds himself lost at times. The play calling is predictable and one-dimensional. The Jets, Ravens and Steelers have philosophies similar to Singletary, but all three coaches of those teams understand how to open up the field and create mismatches, something that escapes Singletary.

The talent on the roster makes the firing inevitable. On both offense and defense, it is difficult to find many glaring holes, excluding the quarterback position. The 49ers have grossly underachieved. Even if they win out, they will be a 10-6 football team.

Singletary didn't make a play for Donovan McNabb and didn't draft a quarterback throughout the entire draft. He let Shaun Hill leave and brought in David Carr. Putting all his eggs in the Alex Smith basket was not a wise move, and Smith's inadequacies could cost Singletary his job.

While Smith's poor play can't be blamed on Singletary, the unwillingness to create a backup plan or competition at quarterback puts a big portion of the blame on Singletary.

So after the season, who will the 49ers hire? While he has not come out and said that he wants to transition back into coaching and away from his television career, Jon Gruden is the clear favorite to obtain the 49ers' head coaching job.

Gruden has coached in the Bay Area previously, won a Super Bowl and is first class when it comes to the ins and outs of football. He brings the same intensity and leadership as a Mike Singletary, but he has the credentials to back that intensity up. It won't be difficult to have the locker room buy into a guy like Gruden. He has proven his worth and would provide what Singletary could not.

So why would Gruden want to come to the 49ers? He would be able to improve the team immediately. The 49ers are much better than their record shows, so improvement is inevitable. He has a defense, led by the best young linebacker in the NFL in Patrick Willis, that is a few pieces away from being top five in the league.

Some may tie Gruden to defense due to his time in Tampa Bay with one of the best defenses of all time, but his specialty is actually the quarterback position. In Tampa, Gruden had talent all over the field on defense and gave defensive genius Monte Kiffin the freedom to run the defense.

Greg Manusky is more than capable of running the defense, so the 49ers won't need a complete coaching remodel unless Manusky is offered a head coaching job somewhere else.

Gruden loves having freedom at quarterback. He brings the most out of his quarterbacks and has not had the luxury of having elite quarterbacks. He is outstanding at evaluating the position, so the 49ers can put complete trust in him when he says who he wants as commander of the offense.

Whether he brings a quarterback in from free agency, trade or the upcoming draft, that quarterback will play his best football under Gruden, who helped Brad Johnson to a Super Bowl.

First-year coordinator Mike Johnson might not get the boot, as he has shown promise since he came in midseason. Singletary has his fingerprints all over the play calling, so it is unclear how Johnson would call plays under Gruden.

Gruden would be a positive influence on Johnson. Every play call goes through the headset of the head coach. Unlike the current situation, Gruden could offer input to the offensive situation at hand that would be relevant and useful to Johnson.

The Buccaneers fired Gruden because they wanted to go with a youth movement. They also let go of future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, among other aging playmakers. Gruden said he couldn't even get film to watch until Monday Night Football offered him a position.

Commentating has allowed Gruden to showcase his knowledge of personnel around the league. He gets into levels of football that Singletary doesn't even know exist. While he is doing well for Monday Night Football, Gruden is a football coach. I'm sure he would like to burst back onto the scene and solidify his legacy by winning multiple Super Bowls with multiple teams.

The 49ers and Gruden would be a perfect fit. Gruden is an offensive coach with defensive intensity. There are players, like Vernon Davis, who respond only to a strong-willed head coach. Gruden is as strong-willed as they come and will bode well for the organization.

This is a proud franchise, and rebuilding for a decade is not acceptable. They seem to be on the brink of something special, and Gruden fills the head coaching void, along with bringing immediate improvement to the quarterback position.

Gruden should sit atop the 49ers' wish list. If he is unwilling to leave, the 49ers will certainly not put their trust back into a coach that has limited experience again. Here are five more guys that the 49ers would likely pursue should Gruden pass on the job.

Bill Cowher

Cowher was the leader of the Steelers, who had similar personnel to the 49ers. Whether he would come over to the West Coast is still unclear. Cowher left football on his own terms, so it is unclear whether he would even want to return. If he does, it will have to be the perfect situation.

Brian Billick

Billick is another offensive guy who has a history of coaching a great defense. As the coach of the Ravens during their best years, Billick is a proven winner. How lucky could you be, going from coaching Ray Lewis to Patrick Willis?

Dom Capers

Capers is the current defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. One of the most difficult things to do in the NFL is finding a coach who has mastered the 3-4 defense. Capers certainly fits that description. He also has the head coaching experience. The Packers are dominating on defense, even through injuries. It's scary to think what he could do with the 49ers.

Greg Manusky

Manusky should be the head coach of the 49ers right now. The 49ers skipped over him for the interim head coaching position and went with Singletary, a decision I am sure they would like to have back. Manusky already has the trust of his team and is familiar with the personnel. It appears he will be a head coach in the league at some point, but the 49ers might be reluctant to hire a guy who doesn't have the experience.

Jim Harbaugh

Harbaugh has quarterback routes and is a clear winner. He might not have head coaching experience at the professional level, but he has completely flipped the culture at Stanford on its ear. Harbaugh is a great motivator and a no-nonsense coach. His team buys into his message, but would he transition well to a head coaching position at the pro level?