The San Francisco 49ers are still without a head coach and, if we're being honest, it's going to be hard to follow Jim Harbaugh. Even though Harbaugh and the 49ers split on tenuous terms, there is no denying the success he had there in his four seasons. San Fran made three straight NFC Championship games with one Super Bowl appearance under Harbaugh. Overall, the 49ers went 44-19 in the regular season and 5-3 in the playoffs with Harbaugh at the helm. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
Now, it appears as if the team is going hard after Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to help them get back atop the NFC West. Bowles interviewed for the job on Friday and the 49ers are said to be interested in bringing him back for a second interview.
Despite a slew of injuries to key defensive personnel, the Cardinals surrendered just the fifth-fewest points in the league. In 2013, Bowles' first year as DC for the Cardinals, the team finished sixth in overall defense and allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL.
"Bowles has presumable received an endorsement from Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, who is a mentor of 49ers general manager Trent Baalke," Eric Branch of SFGate.com wrote.
Bowles' name has also come up as a potential candidate for the head coaching vacancies with the Oakland Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and New York Jets. Bowles, 51, has worked in the NFL since 2000 when Parcells hired him as a secondary coach for the Jets.