An Unknown, Jim Tomsula Might Be Right For the 49ers Job

Mike Shanahan, Adam Gase, Kyle Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Dan Quinn, Todd Bowles and Vic Fangio. These were all names linked to the San Francisco 49ers head coaching opening following the “mutual departure” of former head man Jim Harbaugh after the 2014 season.

Most of these names are known around the football community. They have either been head coaches or coordinators in the NFL. In some cases, they have been both.

So why did San Francisco choose a relative unknown in former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula over that candidate list?

The narrative that some might want you to believe is that Tomsula will act as a yes-man to San Francisco’s brass, CEO Jed York included. They will have you believe that since he’s been with the team since 2007 and was previously picked to coach the 49ers in an interim role, that he will be easily controlled by the powers to be in Santa Clara. They will have you believe that Tomsula represents an extension of San Francisco’s side of the rift that forced Harbaugh from the sideline after the regular season.

The funny thing about narrative is that most of it is based on conjecture, and not much more. These naysayers fail to understand (or point out) that Tomsula was one of the few coaches from the Mike Singletary era that Harbaugh actually kept on staff when he was hired in 2011. They will fail to point out that Harbaugh had free reigns over his staff, which was brought to light over the numerous Stanford coaches he brought with him, offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio included. They will fail to point out that Harbaugh could have easily dumped Tomsula to the side, which would have likely prevented the hiring that is expected to be announced on Thursday.

Again, it’s all about narrative and what a specific group of the press might want you to believe.

As it relates to Tomsula, his story is unlike any other. From being an unpaid assistant at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina (where he actually lived out of his car) to uprooting his entire family to Europe to take on an assistant coach role for the England Monarchs, no one ever imagined Tomsula would end up being a head coach in the NFL.

A fiery personality and popular figure in the locker room, Tomsula is well respected around the National Football League.

Current and former 49ers players came out in droves on Wednesday in support of Tomsula’s promotion as the 19th head coach in franchise history.

Davis’ tweet is a not-so-subtle indication that he doesn’t plan on holding out of offseason activities like he did last season with Harbaugh at the helm.

Players indicating that this was a good hire is one thing. Current and former executives around the league applauding the decision is completely different thing.

Of those within the 49ers organization and the NFL as a whole that I have personally spoken with over the past couple years, Tomsula is seen as a leader on the field and someone that his players will continually go to bat for. He inspires confidence in those under him and is an upbeat persona. It’s important to note that Tomsula’s hiring didn’t necessarily come out of left field. Many around the league have believed for some time now that he deserved a shot to be a head coach. In fact, he interviewed extremely well for the Minnesota Vikings gig prior to Mike Zimmer getting the job last offseason.

NFL agent David Canter called Tomsula a “great coach and a “great man.” He also indicated that players love the new 49ers head coach.

Former 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci said that Tomsula was going to be a “great general” and that he “liked the hiring a lot.”

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan called Tomsula “one of the most respected coaches in the NFL.”

We could go on here, but you get the point.

It is, however, possible to think highly of Tomsula and not like this hiring. Despite being a head coach in NFL Europe, he doesn’t even have coordinating experience in the NFL. 49ers brass also selected Tomsula over the team’s defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who has led that unit to one of the top rankings in the NFL over the past four seasons. It’s odd for a team as talented as San Francisco is right now to choose a position coach over others that may in fact be more qualified for the job, especially when looking at past experience within the landscape of the league itself.

It’s also more than logical to question San Francisco’s front office. This is a hierarchy, led by CEO Jed York, who was responsible for the leaks regarding former head coach Jim Harbaugh during the season. York, who is still just 34 yards old, is seen in the Bay Area as a hands-on owner who simply doesn’t get it. And fair or not, his obviously strained relationship with Harbaugh during the 2014 season plays into this belief.

Then you have the whole experience thing. We have no idea how good Tomsula is going to be as an X’s and O’s coach. Sure he led one of the best defensive lines in the NFL over the past four seasons. Sure the players absolutely love him. Sure he is well respected around the league. Sure his coaching model is something that will fit well within the 49ers locker room.

But does that mean that he can lead a coaching staff that can go up against the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers of the world and come out on top? These are the unknowns. And these are also the factors that make this an incredibly bold and risky hire.

The future will dictate whether San Francisco made the right move here. But for now, it’s probably best to sit back and see who Tomsula brings on to his staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball. As we saw with Harbaugh during his four-year stint, a head coach is only as good as his assistants. And that is even more magnified for Tomsula, who will now take on the reigns of a contending team without even coordinating experience in the NFL.

Photo: USA Today