Rumors of a deteriorating relationship between San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke have been swirling for months now. As speculations rages on about the future of the franchise, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: Harbaugh will not be with the team next season.
Should Harbaugh be shipped out of town, fired or quit? Whatever the preferred method of break up is, 49ers fans have to ask themselves who can fill his shoes. Despite struggles this season, Harbaugh is 43-17 (.713 winning percentage) as a head coach in the NFL. He's 5-3 in the playoffs with a Super Bowl appearance under his belt. Say what you want about his abrasive personality, but the guy has won as a head coach in the NFL and college. Can his successor do the same?
"If the 49ers had traded coach jim Harbaugh to the Browns in February, it's widely believed that defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would have become Harbaugh's replacement," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote. "If/when (when) the 49ers and Harbaugh part ways after the 2014 season, it's widely believed that Tomsula will be the early favorite to get the job."
Tomsula previously interviewed for the head coaching position with the Minnesota Vikings in January. He also served as interim head coach after in San Fransisco Mike Singletary was fired in 2010.
However, it is possible that ownership would want to look outside the organization for a new coach as well. Bill Parcells claims in his new book that Baalke tried to hire him before moving on to Harbaugh in 2011. Although Parcells, 73, is likely out of the question at this point, it is possible that San Fran will want to grab a splashy name not currently with the team.
Either way, it's apparent that Harbaugh's time in the Bay Area has run out.
