Jim Tomsula Is the Man for the Job

2014 was a frustrating season for the San Francisco 49ers with an array of injuries, off-field issues, and an instability between coaching and the front office. The 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh went through a controversial battle throughout the season which led to a "mutual" divorce. Whether it was mutual or not, Harbaugh wasn't cutting it anymore and 49ers owner Jed York and General Manager Trent Baalke wanted to go in a new direction. In 2011, when Jim Harbaugh took over, the 49ers organization was stuck in a rut from inconsistency under the coaching of Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary. Trent Baalke was also promoted to General Manager in 2011, after being in charge of player personnel. Baalke's drafting abilities and Jim Harbaugh's coaching helped turn the team around to a 13-3 record, also reaching the NFC Championship game in which they lost. After the 2011 season, the 49ers found themselves in familiar territory in 2012, only this time making the Super Bowl, losing to the Baltimore Ravens.  In 2013, the 49ers returned to the NFC title game against Seattle and also found themselves coming up short once again. For four years, Harbaugh was able to reach out to the existing players, and they bought in to the philosophy he preached. The problem with his philosophy was it was focused on a run-heavy scheme, and the players were built for that style. They drafted Colin Kaepernick in 2011 to be the quarterback for the future who Harbaugh wanted, even though the front office disagreed. Since Harbaugh was their guy, he had a say into who he wanted and got his wish. The only problem is Kaepernick never really improved in those four years. The coaching staff didn't do enough in the development in Kaepernick and Colin essentially had to use his athleticism to guide his play. The 49ers had three successful seasons in four years in the Harbaugh era, but there were some evident flaws over time that have sort of piled up, and were unleashed in 2014.

When Harbaugh came to San Francisco, he brought his coordinators from Stanford, where he too turned a program around in need. Greg Roman, Harbaugh's right-hand man, came over to San Francisco to be his offensive coordinator and Vic Fangio came over to run the defense. On offense, Roman's game plan focused primarily on a run-heavy offense, that also included a short passing game. Alex Smith took years of trying to fit an offense, where it eventually almost led him out of San Francisco before Harbaugh arrived. Harbaugh was able to get the most out of Alex Smith who was key to the advancement of the 49ers into the playoffs in 2012, where they eventually reached the Super Bowl. Who led them to the Super Bowl? It was not Alex Smith, but Colin Kaepernick. Towards the end of the regular season, Alex Smith went down with a concussion and the 49ers were forced to put Colin Kaepernick in. Kaepernick went on to finish the regular season strong and hold off the Packers and Falcons in the playoffs. The 49ers reached the Super Bowl, and Harbaugh made one of the most difficult decisions of his tenure in San Francisco. Alex Smith was cleared to play in the Super Bowl, but he decided to roll with the momentum and keep Kaepernick as the starter. While Alex Smith was probably bitter about it, he professionally handled the situation well, and then addressed he wanted out of San Francisco at the end of the season. The decision to start Colin Kaepernick went on to look bad on Jim Harbaugh's part. The next couple seasons after the Super Bowl, Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh went on to finding more ways to get Kaepernick involved in the passing game, but the offensive line and wide receivers were built for a run-heavy and short pass offensive game. Kaepernick would go on to being pressured and sacked at high numbers over the next couple of years, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL. One of the eye-popping issues that were existent from day one of the Harbaugh era, was the lack of red zone play-calling and failure to score touchdowns within the 20 yard line. Roman's offense would get shut down and would settle for field goals. 49ers ranked among the lowest in red zone efficiency in the NFL all four years under Harbaugh and got to an all time high in 2014. Time-after-time in crucial situations, Harbaugh was getting outmatched and out-coached due to the make up of the team and philosophy. Harbaugh saw so much success early, it almost felt like he didn't have a long-term plan and failed to teach and prepare young players. Veterans were favored on Harbaugh's teams, especially on offense. Colin Kaepernick, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington, Kendall Hunter, and others are examples of players who were not gaining enough experience or any help needed for their development. Baalke over the four years, favored a run style and knows how to scout talent, but Harbaugh and staff failed to get the offense going. Defense has never been an issue the four years Harbaugh was running the team. What I believe led to his dismissal from the team in a mutual manor was the offense and Harbaugh's lack of desire to adapt and change. Greg Roman needed to go, and Harbaugh clearly showed he could not let him go, just by his actions. It was never clearly stated what was the main issue of Harbaugh, but Harbaugh's philosophy and lack of desire to change the offense seemed to hurt his tenure, and something that did not look positive for the future. Injuries and personal issues derailed the 2014 season, but coaches still have to coach and develop their players. Through the offseason, the 49ers front office, particularly Jed York and Trent Baalke, have taken a lot of heat from fans and the media for the ways they handled the departure of Jim Harbaugh. The 49ers lost the majority of their staff except the running back coach, and Jim Tomsula, who was hired to be the head coach.

Jim Tomsula, or shall I call him "The Bludgeon Man" was chosen by the front office to replace a coach who accomplished what no coach in NFL history was able to do in appearing in three straight NFC Championships to start their career. Tomsula was never a Harbaugh man and has been around since 2007.  Tomsula has been the defensive line coach for the 49ers, and has certainly had an impact on his players, due to recent interviews by the players and their comments. Not that Jim Harbaugh was not a liked man, the amount of supporters seems to be down for him as opposed to the likes of Tomsula who seems really well-liked by all. For a coach to receive the accolades he earned in four years, it is hard to see a guy go like that, and it goes to show success isn't always safe. For example, Bo Pelini was recently fired by the Nebraska Cornhuskers where he averaged close to 10 wins per season in his tenure. What he and Nebraska failed to do was come up with a Big Ten title and National Championship. To athletic director, Tom Osborne (who knows a thing or two about championships), was probably not seeing progress and those wins weren't enough for the future.  Asa result, the Cornhusker needed a new voice and direction. While it is hard to see if Tomsula can have the same success, if not greater than Jim Harbaugh, a 1-0 record as an interim is hard to consider for a position that now has the highest pressure to succeed. What a lot of media fails to address is the way Tomsula coached his players. He not only helped coach that defense, he personally developed friendships with his players and earned their respect. By earning that respect, Tomsula gave back to them hope and faith and knew how to teach his players. One defensive experiment was defensive tackle, Isaac Sopoaga. He was strong player with potential, if not was going to be a rotational defensive tackle for the rest of his career. Tomsula taught Sopoaga and turned him into a relevant player earning the nose tackle job. After the injury that sent his bags packing out of San Francisco, the New England Patriots went on to sign him to help on the defensive line with Vince Wilfork. Belichick was never able to get anything out of Sopoaga and he was later released. Tomsula's scheme and coaching helped build up Sopoaga into something relevant what other teams failed to do. Another project is the development of Ian Williams, in which Williams credits Tomsula for improving his game and becoming a name. Ian Williams was undrafted out Notre Dame, and has been a starter in the place of the injured and once highly touted draft prospect Glenn Dorsey. Glenn Dorsey is another player who has excelled under the coaching of Jim Tomsula. Coming from a 4-3 scheme in Kansas City, Dorsey failed to live up to expectations and found himself out of Kansas City and the 49ers scooped him up in free agency. From there, Tomsula developed him into a 3-4 scheme and the man to anchor the interior of the defensive line. 5th round draft pick from 2014, Aaron Lynch, has mighty things to say about Tomsula toughness, but his ability to get the most out of players in an effective and non-damaging way is what stands out.  In other words, he is personable but will push his players to get the best out of them. One of my favorite highlights from the 2014 season came in the Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers ran thin on tight ends and had to call up Asante Cleveland from the practice squad. Cleveland made some inexperienced mistakes and dropped a pass. He went over to the sidelines and looked dejected. Drawing away from the out-of-bounds marker was Jim Tomsula, walking over to Asante Cleveland sitting on the bench. Tomsula put his arm around and patted Asante on the shoulder pad and was providing encouragement. Cleveland was activated to the 53 man roster for that game, but this was a practice squad player who was treated as if he was already on the team for years. That moment stood out to me and shows how much Tomsula cares about the players on this team. I never saw moments like that with Jim Harbaugh as coach.

I love the Jim Tomsula hire, and I know a lot of individuals want to blame the front office right now for hiring a guy with lack of experience, and only one game under his belt as head coach (as an interim). Inexperience with football isn't the only issue in sports. Today's managers in baseball have been a concern with the lack of managerial experience for some teams, when it was expected in the past to have experience to land the manager gig. Mike Matheny, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, held no previous manager title, and has led the Cardinals to the playoffs in each of his seasons as the manager. Brad Ausmus was a first year head coach for the Detroit Tigers in 2014 and he led the Tigers to the playoffs in his first season. Previous experience traditionally makes sense for why you should hire a coach, but if you interview a candidate and they seem qualified, it may be worth checking out. How did the Steelers feel after Bill Cowher retired and the organization chose Mike Tomlin to replace him? Tomlin was young and served as a defensive backs coach in the past and was the Vikings defensive coordinator for one season. The Pittsburgh Steelers (just became of their name) could hire any coach they please due to their rich history in the NFL. Of the candidates, they gambled with Mike Tomlin. Tomlin has brought them to the playoffs and led them to a Lombardi trophy in 2008. What makes Mike Tomlin a great coach is his personality, he is personable with the players, and he teaches. Jim Tomsula reminds me a lot of Mike Tomlin although he is a lot older. Tomsula has worked his way up to the defensive line coach position and he is a blue collar man, who worked to get where he is. If the fans and media can't respect that because they want the popular names to replace Harbaugh, why don't they take the time to give Tomsula a chance to prove what he is capable of. Trent Baalke and Jed York are taking a lot of flack, but Baalke has shown what kind of talent evaluator he is, and will bring the guys Tomsula and the assistants need to succeed. A new billion dollar stadium, a stagnant offense, and a controlling head coach, are all reasons why a change needed to happen. Harbaugh is a great coach and he should thrive at the college level to get what he personally wants. Jed York, on the other hand, is a young owner and will learn over time how to conduct himself to the public, but York has the DeBartolo blood in him and is going to bring to the 49ers what he feels it needs to succeed. Jim Tomsula is that start and the teacher York is looking for to lead this organization.

2015 Should Be Tim Lincecum's Comeback Year

In 2007, the young and electric Tim Lincecum was brought up to the big leagues by Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants organization. Looking at his build up, you see a short, scrawny guy from the University of Washington who was named the Golden Spikes Player of the Year in 2006 (College Baseball MVP Award), and with a delivery no one can recreate. Major League Baseball welcomed Lincecum in 2007, being called up to an impressive 7-5 record with the short stint he had that season. 2007 was Barry Bond's final season, who was arguably one of the greatest faces of the franchise along with the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, and Will Clark. Giants were in a rut, and posting consecutive losing seasons and the future was looking bleak for Bruce Bochy's ball club and post-Barry Bonds. 2008 rolled around and an unexpected face soon took the league by storm in his first full season in the league. The scrawny Tim Lincecum came to the rescue, and put some life back into the Giants organization and the game of baseball. Who looked like a pitcher that could be easily hit off, was a wonky-delivery pitcher who knew how to get guys out. Looks were deceiving, and nothing but the sound of the mitt was coming from the Giants backstop every fifth game. The Giants continued to lose from 2007 to 2009, but no one dominated the game the way Lincecum did. For a short pitcher who is flexible as jello, he packs a mean punch and pitches that rarely get hit. In 2008 & 2009, Lincecum compiled back-to-back Cy Young Awards going 33-12, 526 Strike Outs, and an ERA under 3.00. Instantly, Lincecum became a San Francisco favorite and well-adored. In 2010, Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain went on to help lead the Giants to a surprising first World Series since relocating to San Francisco. They were the catalysts of this team. After a magical 2010 postseason, where the Giants weren't even supposed to be, they proved everyone wrong. In 2011, the Giants barely missed the playoffs and they looked forward to 2012, but 2012 wasn't gracious for Tim Lincecum. This was the start for the next three years of the most growing pains of his career. Lincecum lost velocity on the ball (95 MPH fastball dropped to low 90's), he was using more of his secondary pitches which hitters waited for, and his fastball was losing command. Tim became a sloppy pitcher that would show glimpses of hope of his Cy Young Award stuff, and times where a crappy game was easily predicted. This earned him losing his spot in the rotation, and coming out of the bullpen in 2012. Surprisingly, Lincecum went on to play a big part for the Giants, who won the 2012 World Series setting a historical performance during the playoffs from the bullpen. The playoffs seemed to be the rejuvenation Lincecum needed to get out of his rut, but that didn't seem to be the case. While going through a continual struggle of inconsistency, Lincecum still manages to be a household name who is mightily a powerful name that sells jerseys and generates revenue. In 2013, he signed a two year deal avoiding arbitration, valued at $35 million dollars, with earning $17.5 million dollars per season. Giants fans were disappointed with the amount of money Lincecum was being paid for the lousy 2012 and 2013 season performances. Why would the San Francisco Giants invest this much into a pitcher you don't know what performance they're going to give? It is very simple. Lincecum has been molded into AT&T Park, the San Francisco Giants organization, and the city of San Francisco. Allowing him to leave would almost be like taking a piece of your heart away. While fans are still frustrated, they still come out to support the pitcher who revived life into this franchise back in 2008, the first year of the post-Barry Bonds years. Lincecum is not a lost-cause pitcher, he is just unpredictable. While I still am baffled why Lincecum's consistency has fallen a part, drastically, there is one reason why I think 2015 could be Lincecum's bounce back with a more consistent look : He has been developing a new delivery over the years to save his career.

No pitcher have I ever supported or defended more in the game than Tim Lincecum. He truly is my favorite player in the game because of what he brings to the table. Inconsistent you can say, but Lincecum brings a sense of electricity and mystery which is what I love. While I don't think he will ever recreate the numbers he did in his Cy Young seasons, Lincecum has been good enough to throw two no-hitters the last couple of seasons. As I said earlier in this article, Lincecum shows glimpses of his old self in the beginning of his career. Growing up, Lincecum learned a delivery that is so unique, it earned him a spot in the Major Leagues and the success he has proven today. His father was his coach and taught him the ways of his delivery. While it is highly unorthodox and dangerous, Lincecum managed to perfect it to the point hitters have looked confused. Lincecum has displayed being a power pitcher (high strikeouts, risk of more walks), but has gradually tweaked with his delivery over time with the help of one the game's best pitching coaches, Dave Righetti. If Lincecum continued his power pitching tendencies with the style of delivery he has always known, his career would probably of winded up ending quickly. Over the last two to three seasons, which have been the worst of his career, I believe he has been experiencing inconsistency, due to learning on-the-go and it takes time. With changing his delivery, he is disrupting muscle memory from his original, unorthodox motion. While Lincecum doesn't give up a lot of hits, the hits have been unlucky and have gone for extra bases and runs. He has also lost command with the fastball which I believe has to do with unfamiliarity of a new style and getting comfortable, which is foreign to him. Mid point of a career, it is difficult to change what you always have known. What Lincecum has done is he is changing to save his future, but it is going to come with some bumpy roads and frustration.

It is difficult as a fan to see where Lincecum is now, but I continually believe he will reemerge. It is a rough patience myself and Giants fans have had to fight. While some may have given up, I believe I spot something most fans aren't seeing, and it is a retooling of Lincecum's pitching. Entering the final year of his contract, Lincecum knows he is playing for arguably his last long contract of his career. While he is no longer a top of the rotation option or a power pitcher, Lincecum is learning ways to get outs and be more effective. We may never see his strike out total surpass the 200 mark, but he can certainly still flirt with it. Lincecum still possesses one of the nastiest sinking change-ups in the game and that is his strike out pitch. Bruce Bochy still has faith in this guy, which is why he is giving Tim another chance to keep himself in the rotation and using the offseason and spring to prove something. Benching Lincecum for the majority of the playoffs may of sparked to prove something for 2015 and beyond. While it is difficult to do, Lincecum took it with a level head and I feel he is going to use the best out of it. This offseason and spring is crucial for Lincecum and the Giants if they want to solidify a quiet offseason. While the Giants didn't sign a James Shields, Jon Lester, or Max Scherzer, they may of found themselves their own free agent signing in existing Giants pitcher, Tim Lincecum. In 8 seasons, Lincecum has earned 3 World Series rings, 2 Cy Young's, and 2 no-hitters. Do you let those kind of accolades leave your franchise? 2015 is going to be Tim Lincecum's resurgence and a return of "The Freak".

Putting Sense Into the 49ers Moving On from Jim Harbaugh

One of football's toughest topics now, is a man who has found his way now leading the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday's. After an 8-8 season for the San Francisco 49ers, 2014 was definitely not one for the ages. For a team who reached three straight NFC Championships, and a Super Bowl appearance in 2012 which they almost won, this 2014 team did not exemplify any of those previous teams. Jim Harbaugh had resurrected the 49ers from eight years of turmoil from the end of Mariucci's tenure, to Mike Nolan, and then Mike Singletary. The 49ers front office had no stability, the talent pool was lacking, and the coaches weren't getting the job done. In 2011, Jim Harbaugh left Palo Alto, where he revived the Stanford Cardinal football program and agreed to coach the 49ers. Harbaugh had no pressure on him, and found a way to reach out to the bunch that Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary couldn't coach. Harbaugh is among the all-time greats, and not one coach in NFL history has reached the NFC Championship game three straight years in a coach's first three years. Not even Bill Walsh or George Seifert could do that for the 49ers. In San Francisco, Jim Harbaugh was rolling with the times. 2014 didn't just crumble for Jim Harbaugh, the organization and team had a rough year as well. In the offseason before the regular season began, the 49ers dealt with a lot of scrutiny off the field. Aldon Smith had an incident at the airport in which he was suspended 10 games by the NFL, Ray McDonald was dealing with domestic violence issues, Colin Kaepernick was facing an investigation into sexual assault in Miami where he was training in the offseason, and Chris Culliver was facing possible charges of threatening a boy with brass knuckles. For injuries, Marcus Lattimore was still recovering from his horrific knee injury at South Carolina, Tank Carradine was coming back from a season off from an ACL injury, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Justin Smith and Navorro Bowman were recovering from injuries in the 2013 season, they were without three draft picks Brandon Thomas, Keith Reaser, and Kenneth Acker for 2014 season, during the 2014 season, Patrick Willis, Daniel Kilgore, Marcus Martin, Tramaine Brock, Vernon Davis, Anthony Davis, Glenn Dorsey, Vance McDonald, and Alex Boone suffered injuries in which ended their season or they missed a large chunk of time. Everything went against the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, and I don't think things could have got any worse... until the offseason. After the 2014 NFL season, the 49ers and Jim Harbaugh mutually agreed to part ways. Now this is where it leaves us: why did they let Jim walk after what he has brought to this team? An 8-8 season is not entirely Harbaugh's fault, but he is the coach and is responsible for coaching. Coaching includes schemes to operate the team with. Although Jim had good relationships with the players and found success with this team, how much of it was Jim's teaching is a mystery today. Jim came in and inherited the roster he did, and a lot of say into how he wanted his team. Owner Jed York granted that sense of control with the 2011 draft when he allowed Harbaugh to go with Colin Kaepernick as opposed to what GM Trent Baalke and York wanted in Andy Dalton. Harbaugh got his QB and went ahead to work the next four years. While it has never been fully reported or suggested by the media or any story, I truly believe there was rift between Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh which Jed York allowed. Jim has always seemed to be about having control of what he wants to do, and likes what he does. By granting what Harbaugh wanted in Kaepernick, that allowed a sense of co-managing between Harbaugh and Baalke. As GM, that would be like a loss of entitlement and makes you question what your role truly is. As Harbaugh ran his team with Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator, the offense has not ranked well in the NFL. In the red zone and on third down, the 49ers ranked among the lowest in the NFL, and the lowest amongst contenders. For a team so domineering as the 49ers were portrayed and those 3 NFC Championships, the offense coming up short seems to be the issue. Harbaugh had an offensive line built for the run, and they lacked in pass protection. The wide receivers on the 49ers lacked explosiveness and playmakers, and all possessed the same receiving skills. The 49ers lacked speed and play consistency in the coaching. 49ers possess one of the best, if not the best defenses in the NFL, and continued to show that stride even with the suspensions and injuries to key players. If Jim Harbaugh showed anything as a coach, he served as a motivator and someone who lacks innovation. As you look through the history of the 49ers, they have been focused on a coaching tree. This all started with Bill Walsh when Jed York's uncle, Eddie DeBartolo was owning the team. While Walsh didn't have immediate success with the 49ers, he was an innovator and built himself a coaching staff that he could teach and they could go own to coach. Walsh eventually won 3 Super Bowls and fielded some of the best teams in NFL history. Walsh was more than just a coach: he was a pioneer of the West Coast offense. What I feel Jim Harbaugh lacks as a coach is the ability to innovate and pass on to others. Harbaugh is comfortable with what he does and is not up for change. This season was a prime example of that. Greg Roman's play calling was inconsistent and made no sense at times. The 49ers scored little touchdowns this season with Roman's offense and had been a continuing since 2012 with the settling of field goals and good defense. The 49ers struggles were accredited many times to Greg Roman, which maybe should have led to a demotion or being fired. The issue with that too is, Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman seem to be loyal to each other, maybe a little too loyal. That could be one of the main issues with the front office and Harbaugh. The front office was probably fed up with the direction of the offense, and felt Greg Roman needed to be let go, so Jim came to Roman's defense. What seemed odd is after Jim mutually parted with the 49ers left, Greg Roman all of a sudden was gone too. Was Roman the issue? We will never know, but that could be a good defense in why 49ers and Harbaugh were not on the same page. This still leads fans to scratching their heads and posting angered opinions as to how can you let coach who has got you to a Super bowl and three NFC championship games in their first four seasons. How about asking Marty Schottenheimer or Bo Pelini. Both respectively won a lot of games and had success with their teams. It boils down too, sometimes the smallest achievements aren't enough and they weren't innovating. Stagnant success is what they and Jim Harbaugh possess. Harbaugh has a short tenure anywhere he coaches, and likes to bounce place-to-place. Nothing wrong with that style, but Harbaugh's philosophy is definitely not what they were going to roll with, especially the talent they possess on that roster, and a billion dollar stadium. It is hard to have faith in Jed York and Trent Baalke right now and they are the villains among the 49er faithful, but they shouldn't be receiving that fire. While the turmoil is high right now, 49ers will be rewarded with their next established coach and live up to what Jed York expects. This is a learning experience is for 49ers fans, and Jed York, but it is not the end of the world San Francisco 49ers fans.