Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh finally spoke out about his exit from the team following the 2014 season.
It came in the form of an interview with San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami—a “friend” of this one scribe—on a podcast Friday afternoon.
Here’s some of the most important notes from the current Michigan Wolverines head coach, who was previously said to have “mutually” parted ways with the 49ers after four seasons.
Kawakami brought up the fact that 49ers CEO Jed York said it was a mutal parting of the ways, at which point Harbaugh indicated that he was told he wouldn’t return to the 49ers.
Harbaugh continued…
I didn’t leave the 49ers. I felt like the 49ers hierarchy left me.”
The former 49ers head coach also indicated that he was told the team wouldn’t bring him back following its Week 15 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle. Harbaugh was then given an opportunity to move on at that point, but he didn’t “want to trash” something he was a part of in San Francisco and continued to coach the final two games of the season.
In short, Harbaugh is telling us that he was indeed fired by CEO Jed York and company.
In talking about his replacement in San Francisco, Jim Tomsula, Harbaugh didn’t have a comment to provide. Though, he wasn’t quick to shut down the idea that Tomsula was lobbying for his job when Harbaugh was still the 49ers coach.
Here’s the full podcast.
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Photo: USA Today