Why San Francisco 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh Is the Definitive Coach of the Year

Rewind to last season, the San Francisco 49ers were heading into the season as the favorites to win the NFC West. However, an absolute terrible start resulted in a waste of a season. This also resulted in a coaching change, with Jim Harbaugh taking over for Mike Singletary.

Harbaugh and Singletary have a lot in common; both are strong-willed and rely on discipline to succeed. However, Harbaugh has seemed to been able to find success where Singletary struggled.  The majority of the 49ers' success is because of the game plan.

Offensively, Harbaugh has been able to mold Alex Smith in to a quarterback capable of winning football games. Smith isn’t playing at an elite level, but he is limiting turnovers and mistakes. He is also making just enough plays to open things up for the running game.

Frank Gore's new contract seems to have him really motivated. He is having one of his better seasons in recent memory. Gore's success has a lot to do with the success of the 49ers.

While the offense is doing their part, the defense is the main factor in this team’s success.  This unit is the top run-stuffing unit in the entire NFL. Their run-stopping forces other teams to really change their style of play.

Harbaugh’s plan of attack is forcing a lot of teams out of their element. There are not a lot of teams capable of controlling the line of scrimmage like the San Francisco 49ers.  This is because of the talent on the field, but also because of motivation by Coach Harbaugh.

The Coach of the Year honors have to go to Jim Harbaugh. He has turned a disappointing team into a legitimate contender. At this stage, the 49ers are on their way to locking down one of the top two playoff spots.

In my opinion, the Coach of the Year needs to see a big swing in record, while also finding a way to contend for a playoff spot.