Jed York answered many questions during his San Francico 49ers end of year press conference with local media, many of which involved former head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The 49ers fired Jim Tomsula after just one season, a 5-11 debacle that had many loyal fans curling up into the fetal position remembering the Dennis Erickson days. Tomsula was the team’s hand-pick successor to Harbaugh, who took the franchise to three straight NFC Championships and a Super Bowl in his first three years before a disappointing 8-8 season that was doomed from the start.
Funny enough, not long after Tomsula was fired, Harbaugh posted a cryptic, and hilarious, tweet that most assume was directed at either the 49ers organization, Tomsula, or both (see here).
Now, just a year after “mutually parting ways” with Harbaugh, the 49ers are once again looking for a head coach, only this time the rebuilding job is in full effect.
During York’s press conference Monday, he was asked if personality was going to be an issue when looking for the team’s next coach, given the assumption that Harbaugh’s never-stop, always push personality had a lot to do with his departure.
Twice, York said, “We’re in need of somebody who can win Super Bowls,” via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.
When asked if Harbaugh was that coach, York, perhaps bitter about how things turned out or about Harbaugh’s Twitter commentary, responded: “We haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1994.”
Well, I didn’t see that one coming. Touché, Mr. York. Touché.
He also made it clear he views the glass half full at this point when it comes to the rebuilding process, and having failed this past season.
“Eight-and-8 and 5-11, neither one of them is acceptable to me,” York said. “I’d rather take a swing on ‘Jimmy T’ like we did and if we miss, the nice thing about the NFL is, they reward you for missing. We have a high draft pick. I don’t want to be drafting him, but if we don’t compete for championships, I’d much rather be drafting high and being able to add the top-tier talent in the draft to this roster.”
It’s been a while since the 49ers picked as high as they will this spring. The team is slotted in with the No. 7 overall pick. Given the fact that the team will likely be looking at an offensive-minded head coach, and since Colin Kaepernick might need surgery and therefore could still be on the roster on April 1, a quarterback may not be the pick.
Things are getting interesting in Santa Clara these days, and quite hilarious between Harbaugh and the 49ers.
One wonders if perhaps Harbaugh has another epic Twitter dig coming up in the near future, and if York will respond in kind.