Did San Francisco 49ers Make The Same Mistake Chicago Did in 2013?
By Erik Lambert
Jan 15, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (L) talks to head coach Jim Tomsula (R) in the locker room after a press conference for the introduction of Tomsula as the head coach at Levi
Recent news has come out that helped clarify the situation regarding the San Francisco 49ers head coaching position. It seems their initial target was in fact not defensive line coach Jim Tomsula as several believed. They wanted Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.
It made sense. He had earned a reputation as a top play-caller in the league, had worked with Peyton Manning and also had ties to the 49ers organization. He could be the perfect solution to getting the most from quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
However, certain roadblocks eventually derailed the situation. Gase wanted to keep Vic Fangio on as defensive coordinator. Unfortunately Fangio chose to leave since the team had no plans to give the position to him. At first it didn’t seem like it was a huge problem. Gase still had ideas about who he wanted for a staff including Bengals assistant Vance Joseph. That changed when the 49ers created the stipulation that if they hired him, he needed to make Tomsula the defensive coordinator.
Gase balked at that and declined, eventually reuniting with his former boss John Fox (and Fangio) in Chicago.
There is a touch of irony to this because it’s those same Bears who experienced an almost duplicate situation just two years ago.
Bruce Arians Miss Still Haunts Phil Emery
In 2013, then GM Phil Emery was on the lookout for the next Chicago Bears head coach. An extensive list had been narrowed to two primary names: Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.
It seemed like Arians was the favorite for the job, but the two sides hit a snag when the Bears insisted he keep the defensive system implemented by departed head coach Lovie Smith in place. Arians refused, wanting his own coordinator in Todd Bowles with his own system. That impasse opened the door for Trestman who ended up getting the job.
The result: Chicago’s defense crumbled to among the worst in the league and finished with a 13-19 record under Trestman.
Arians landed softly in Arizona where the Cardinals have field a top defense two-straight years and posted a 21-11 record including a playoff berth this past season.
That’s not to say the same thing will happen to the San Francisco 49ers, but it is a chillingly similar scenario that could see a contending team fall apart because they had to have their guy stay on the team in a top capacity.