Michigan's Problem. Harbaugh to be Fired
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The latest report from Jay Glazer of Fox Sports indicates that Jim Harbaugh has one week left as head coach of the 49ers. The report states that the decision will be swift and made within 24-48 hours after the last game on Sunday. If that is the case, it appears that the Niners will fire Harbaugh instead of trading him to another NFL team and the Niners will end up getting nothing in return. It seems odd that the Niners would simply let their highly sought-after coach go for nothing. What this report may imply is that Harbaugh has decided he's going back to college and will accept the 6-year $48 million offer from the University of Michigan. That would explain why the decision will come immediately after the season because the Niners won't need to find a willing trade partner in the NFL.
What is amazing is how badly the 49er front office wants to get rid of Harbaugh. Not only do they want him gone, but they're willing to get nothing in order to make it happen. If Harbaugh hasn't decided to go to Michigan, then it's even more insane that they would just let him go instead of attempting to make a trade. Meanwhile, there is no logical justification for firing him. He's one of the winning-est coaches in NFL history who nearly brought the Lombardi trophy to San Francisco for the 6th time - for three consecutive years. Yet the Niners have decided that his personality and the resulting internal conflict with the front office are not worth keeping him around.
If Owner Jed York and GM Trent Baalke are actually going to make this horrendous decision, why didn't they do it before the season started? Well it now appears that they definitely attempted to do so with a trade to the Cleveland Browns. It didn't materialize, but it ended up leaving a huge wake of destruction on the organization. The failed trade attempt undermined the head coach, created a cavernous devide between Harbaugh and the front office and left the team confused all season long. In the end it was largely responsible for a miserable season on the field.
Need any evidence? How about Saturday's game against San Diego. For the first time all year the Niners played like the team we expected to see all season. It appeared they had finally let all of the distractions go and just played football. They were loose and confident on offense and moved the ball at will. It reminded everyone how good this team could have been. They showed flashes of a Super Bowl contender and at least a playoff-caliber team. But instead, the second half was a microcosm of the season. Turnovers, penalties, touchdowns called back, poor timeout management and a team playing tight and full of distractions.
While many factors contributed to a disappointing season, you can't underestimate the impact of the lingering conflict between Harbaugh and the front office. What is frustrating for 49er fans is that we don't know what's going on behind the scenes. Is the conflict really that bad? Is Harbaugh completely flippant and miserable to be around? We just don't know. But from our perspective, we see the results on the field and we can all see that Harbaugh is the best coach this team has had since Bill Walsh. And letting him go seems like a huge mistake.
