There’s been a false narrative thrown around over the past several years that the York-led ownership group of the San Francisco 49ers don’t care too much about the on-field product being thrown out there.
That’s one of the reasons, they say, that Denise D. York and John York — the actual owners of the team — appointed a silver-spoon fed Jed York to the role of CEO years back.
True to form and throwing water on that media-based narrative, the ownership group made a pretty interesting decision on Sunday evening.
A month after “demoting” president Paraag Marathe — a move that likely wasn’t made by Jed himself — the 49ers have fired Jed’s hand-picked successor for Jim Harbaugh.
Head coach Jim Tomsula has been fired after just one season in that role:
“Jimmy has been a valuable member of the 49ers organization for the last nine years,” CEO Jed York said in a press release. “We all know he is a man of high character, and his contributions on the field and in our community have always been greatly appreciated. This entire organization is proud and grateful to have worked so closely alongside Jimmy. We all wish him and his family great success in the future.”
York will address the media on Monday in Santa Clara.
This is a dramatic tidal change within the philosophy of those in power in Santa Clara. It also comes a bit over a month before the team hosts Super Bowl 50 — a game it seemed likely to be playing in just 18 months ago.
This move will lead to speculation that a high-profile head coach will be brought in by San Francisco. Both Sean Payton and Chip Kelly have reportedly shown interest in the job.
San Francisco isn’t wanting for money, and flush with a brand-new stadium in a popular region in the United States, it should be an attractive destination. That’s only magnified by the fact that any potential head coach likely wouldn’t be chosen by York himself.
Tomsula was 5-11 in his only season as San Francisco’s head coach.