Jim Harbaugh: Why San Francisco Coach Should Be Coach of the Year

The San Francisco 49ers struck gold with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh. After the recent regimes of both Mike Singletary and Mike Nolan, the presence of Jim Harbaugh is a breath of fresh air. 

Even with the loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers are 9-2 heading into next weeks matchup against the 2-7 St. Louis Rams. The San Francisco 49ers will lock up the NFC West in a few weeks, giving them their playoff berth since 2001. 

The San Francisco 49ers organization finally has direction and with that, it's no surprise success is pouring in. The team has always had talent but the 49ers lacked a consistent identity. 

Jim Harbaugh should be the leading candidate for Coach of the Year and here's why. 

Wonders with Alex

Jim Harbaugh has done wonders with Alex Smith and that alone places him in contention for Coach of the Year. 

Alex Smith has looked comfortable but more importantly, their is trust between coach and quarterback. Jim Harbaugh believes in Alex Smith and that trust has manifested into confidence for the former first round selection. 

His statistics have improved across the board, especially in the areas of completion percentage (62.2 percent) and quarterback rating (91.2). 

Instilling Confidence

Jim Harbaugh has instilled confidence within the whole team, not just Alex Smith. At this point in the season, the San Francisco 49ers expect to defeat good opponents. 

They have a certain swagger about them and that is a credit to Jim Harbaugh. Your team takes the personality of your head coach and that's been the case here in San Francisco. 

Frank Gore said it all in an interview with SI. 

Smash Mouth Football

The San Francisco 49ers are the ideal smash mouth football team. Jim Harbaugh has completed what Mike Singletary was attempting to create during his regime in San Francisco.

Running game, check. Nasty offensive line, check. Stout defense, check. These are the ideal ingredients in a smash mouth football team. 

The San Francisco 49ers play with a physicality that's usually only seen in the AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.

Teaching the Basics

The San Francisco 49ers have returned to the basics and with that, success has returned to this once glorious franchise. 

Jim Harbaugh relentlessly worries about the finer details of football and that has sharpened the focus of this young team.The penalties and idiot plays rarely occur despite the lack of full offseason.

He has done wonders with a team that has had the talent to succeed in years past but lacked direction to do so.