6 Ways Jim Harbaugh Will Improve the San Francisco 49ers in 2011

It's a long way to go until we have a firm idea exactly how 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's presence will ultimately affect the team and it's direction, but there are certainly some signs and indications about what he'd like to do.

Hopefully we'll have a 2011 season to actually see it all come together. Until then, here are six things Coach Harbaugh will be able to do to improve the 2011 San Francisco 49ers.

SUCCESS IN THE PRESENT THROUGH THE PAST: WEST COAST OFFENSE

I could have called this 'back to basics'. After numerous ventures into offensive philosophies of every sort from wide open Martz ball to power run, the 49ers are going back to the beginning: The West Coast Offense.

Harbaugh, a disciple and big fan of former 49ers coach and West Coast Offense creator Bill Walsh, will be returning San  Francisco to its roots.

Whereas previous coaches tried to jam the current 49ers into the schemes they wanted, Harbaugh will be flipping that and building the offense around the players.

We'll touch on some players momentarily, but from a larger perspective, this is a good move both for the team and the fans. For the team, it means being put into a situation where they can excel and succeed as they are, which may make the transition to yet another new offensive scheme.

Which, given the increasing likelihood that we lose the whole preseason—including the OTA's and the majority of training camp—could be critical in terms of early success for the team.

Getting out of the blocks quickly and smoothly could be the difference between the playoffs and yet another year sitting at home watching them.

Installing a scheme which fits the players and not the other way around won't wipe out the rough spots that come from being a team with little to no chance to practice a new offense but it will speed up the process.

As will retaining several veterans.

WELCOME BACK OFFENSE

As long as we're talking a return to a basic 49ers offense, Harbaugh will also focus on bringing the more effective weapons the team already has back into the fold.

Vernon Davis certainly slid backwards from his 2009 season, in part because he was targeted 37 less times in 2010. He still managed to haul in about 60 percent of his targets and would have easily surpassed his 2009 numbers if he had been targeted the same amount of time. Look for Harbaugh to get him more involved in the timing and short pass scheme he's installing. Davis is dangerous after the catch and Harbaugh will take advantage of that.

Michael Crabtree also failed to take the leap expected of him in his first full season, though he saw more targets and caught the same percentage of them as he did in 2009. Crabtree has had some issues with his teammates (he only just recently planned to join his teammates in Alex Smith's  workouts but despite being in the Bay are is still not working with them) and will need someone to push him a little harder to reach his potential.

Harbaugh will need to work closely with his mercurial wide receiver and keep him involved, but Crabtree will also benefit from the installation of the WCO, both because the shorter passes may clear some of the coverage off him and because he may be able to use his height and leaping ability to overcome coverage.

Getting his big guns involved will be a high priority for Harbaugh, not just because it will be good for the offense but also because he needs to get the team to buy into his way of doing things. Crabtree and Davis will be key in this, as will Frank Gore.

The biggest key will be at quarterback.

ALEX SMITH

At some point having returned to Bleacher Report, I've become known as an Alex Smith hater. This couldn't be further from the truth.

Do I think that—after many years of struggle—that Smith might find more success elsewhere? Absolutely. I believe that the struggles he's had in San Francisco may be hard to overcome, especially with Aaron Rodgers winning a Super Bowl in Green Bay. A fresh start with less baggage is often a way for a player (or anyone really) to turn a career around.

That doesn't mean Alex Smith returning to San Francisco is a disaster, nor destined to fail.

Coach Harbaugh spent 14 years in the NFL as a quarterback and is well acquainted with the challenges of a first round draft pick who struggles early in the NFL (Harbaugh was the first round pick of the Chicago Bears in 1987).

While I wouldn't go so far as to call him a quarterback 'guru' or 'genius', Harbaugh did some great work with current Tampa Bay backup quarterback Josh Johnson while they were both at the University of San Diego and of course helped Andrew Luck develop into a very good quarterback at Stanford.

It seems to me that if anyone can help turn Smith's career around, Harbaugh is that guy.

Keeping Smith around will also help with the switch to the West Coast offense and the overall transition to it. Smith is familiar with the offense, the players and the entire structure of the team.

Instead of trying to cram months of preparation into the shorter-than-average preseason (when it finally comes about), Harbaugh will have a quarterback who is already familiar with much of it.

It's a great sign, by the way, that not only did Smith get a playbook even though he's a free agent, but that he has gathered the offense together for workouts.

Harbaugh could have a huge impact in Smith's career—and Smith will be key in Harbaugh's success as a first year coach.

DE-FENCE

We've talked a lot about the offense at this point, but the defense also needs work. We all expected far more from it last year then we got and that has to change.

Sam Bradford has begun to give the Rams success offensively, the Cardinals will in all likelihood have a better quarterback when free agency starts as could the Seahawks. 

Granted, it's not a powerhouse division, but they have to stop these offenses all the same. And if they can't stop the Rams, what hope do they have of stopping Tampa Bay, the New York Giants or Pittsburgh?

While Coach Harbaugh isn't exactly a defensive-minded coach, his Stanford Cardinal had a great year in 2010. A great deal of that success went to Vic Fangio, who was the team's defensive coordinator. Never one to mess with success, Harbaugh brought Fangio along to the Niners.

Fangio isn't just some college coach who is looking for a shot at the next level. He cut his teeth as the linebackers coach from 1986-1994, and was defensive coordinator in Carolina, Indianapolis and Houston after that.

He was also Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Defense and Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Linebackers during the Baltimore Ravens' outstanding defensive runs from 2006-20010.

Fangio knows his defenses and in his only season at Stanford, his defense ranked 21st in the nation in fewest yards allowed and 10th in fewest points allowed.

He takes over a team which was ranked sixth against the run but could neither pressure the quarterback nor defend the pass, ending up with a 24th-ranked pass defense ranking.

Fangio's defense is built on aggression and player movement, and he's already started to work on improving that by adding rookie Aldon Smith who fits Fangio's philosophy to a 'T.'

The wider point is also this: Harbaugh is making sure he surrounds himself with people who know what they are doing and are good at it. He's added multiple Stanford coaches who, like Fangio, have plenty of NFL experience and know what it takes to win.

Harbaugh will let Fangio do his thing because he trust that his defensive coordinator knows what he's doing. That should help the defense finally reach it's full potential.

CLEAR THE DEAD WEIGHT

By dead weight, I'm talking about guys who don't get with the program or get on board with the direction of the team.

This is one that I can't say for sure Harbaugh will do, but he should. While being a hard headed task master doesn't go over well when you haven't earned it yet (I'm looking at you Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels), you need guys who buy into the program and aren't negative influences.

I don't know who those people will be in the Niners locker room or staff. It's possible there won't be any, or those who might be will get with the program eventually.

However, nothing kills a franchise like discontent and nothing will undermine a coach quicker than a power struggle with players.

Coach Harbaugh should—in whatever way he deems fit or works in his style—that while some discussion and dissension is fine, being relentlessly negative is not tolerated.

If a guy isn't willing to at least try to buy in, support his teammates even when they struggle and is a distraction, he should be moved. By and large it seems like the team is wholly behind Harbaugh and that's good. He's also moved several former Stanford coaches and other fresh faces on his 49ers staff.

A fresh start. If he's going to change the attitude of the franchise and help this team win, Harbaugh needs everyone on the same page.

DIVISION OF LABOR

Along with a new coach, the 49ers pulled in a new general manager, Trent Baalke. Baalke, who was previously the vice president of player personnel, is in charge of player acquisition. Harbaugh is definitely involved, but Baalke is the guy in charge of getting the guys they talk about.

Harbaugh has no ego about this that I can see. He wants to coach and let the GM be the GM. That's fine—in fact it's better than fine, it's perfect.

When he left the New England Patriots head coaching job, Bill Parcells famously said "They want you to cook the dinner; at least they ought to let you  shop for some of the groceries." In other words, if he was head coach, he wanted to be influential in picking the guys he had to coach.

Not everyone is cut out for that. Maybe Harbaugh could, maybe not. However,the job of head coach is a tremendous one and involves a myriad of things all at once. For a guy just starting out as a NFL head coach, and given the lockout and the eventual shortened preseason, I'd say allowing your head coach to focus on, I don't know, coaching, might be a good idea.

Certainly Baalke and Harbaugh will confer often and in great detail and have respect for what each other can do. That trust will allow Harbaugh to relax and focus on the bigger issue facing him: winning on the field.

It's clear that there is a long road to go for Harbaugh and the 49ers. While the team need not be completely rebuilt, there is plenty of work to be done.

So far, Harbaugh seems poised to help the team get better the moment they hit the practice field.