Once the reality of separation set in for most 49ers fans, it was too late.
Jim Harbaugh was on on a plane.
Jed York was planning a press conference.
Jim Tomsula was trying on ties.
The argument for/against Jim Harbaugh's coaching tenure is moot. He's been gone for five weeks (longer depending on who you're speaking to) and there's no turning back.
Jim Tomsula has experienced a tidal wave of reaction since earning the head coaching job. From plucky, player-friendly defensive line coach to the head of class hasn't gone without a couple of hiccups.
Jed York wanted a teacher. I think Tomsula fits that description.
But does teaching win games? I guess we'll see.
What of his staff, fans pondered? Perhaps Jim Tomsula can steer the ship, but strong coordinators would make this a sneaky a good hire, the masses suggested.
The message boards would speculate, but ultimately the staff was here all long.
Eric Mangini's stock has certainly seen better days, and Iet's face it, being the guy that replaces Vic Fangio probably isn't going to win him any popularity contests. For fans clamoring as to why the team's Tight Ends coach is now overseeing the defense, lets just say stranger things have happened.
It's 2015, not 2005. Eric Mangini couldn't get a coordinator job anywhere else and yet he's the the 49ers guy?
Mangini has coached on both sides of the football his entire career, but of course became a household name running defenses back in New England. His background specifically with the defensive backfield had to be particularly enticing to the front-office given Tomsula's expertise with lineman coupled with the reality that the linebacking core (when healthy) is as good as any in the league. If either Chris Culliver or Perish Cox (or both) leave during free agency, Mangini can afford extra-time to examine the secondary. This hire could be a boon for for guys like Jimmy Ward and Dontae Johnson.
Geep Chryst's promotion from QB coach to offensive coordinator has clearly been a tougher pill for fans to swallow. Last year's offense lacked any remnants of a once proud ground-and-pound identity and Colin Kaepernick looked like a shell of the player that dazzled fans and ran past outside linebackers in 2012 and 2013.
Kap needs fixing and they hire the guy that directly looked over the broken performances?
Make no mistake, this hire has EVERYTHING to do with Colin Kaepernick. In a flash his career has hit a curious crossroads, making this decision all the more critical. Chryst deserves a plaque for his work since he's been here, from aiding in the reclamation of Alex Smith to getting Kap primed to become a starting quarterback.
For the record, I've always felt that Harbaugh had gotten a bit too much credit for the QB development in San Francisco, while Chryst didn't get enough. I'm not suggesting 50/50, but Geep was hands-on with these guys from day one as well.
The mission is clear on the offensive side (just ask Trent) so Geep's job description is overly-simplified. It seems less about the playbook, and more about the consistency of the play-calling. Again, Chryst has been here, he understands what works and what doesn't.
For those who wanted fireworks when it came the staff hirings I simply say, look around. The outside candidates had plenty of question marks themselves, and I was hard-pressed to pick a general consensus option for any of the open posts.
Fangio was not coming back after getting passed over. Adam Gase certainly wasn't going to run the offense after being led to believe the head job was his to lose.
Ownership understood that the DNA of this team was still intact. They're betting on a healthy and run-oriented offense being closer to being a 12 win team than the .500 squad from last year's campaign.
Why not promote trusted agents to get the alignment back on point?
There's a perception that different means better and therefore an external hire would have provided a fresh restart. It's not a bad theory, I'll give you that.
I just sense that whatever may have been "broken" last season are fixable and fall into the DIY category.
Kap has been getting hands-on instruction from Kurt Warner for nearly a month now. Judging from their social feeds, Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman could play tomorrow. The leaders of this team clearly understand what's at stake and are priming themselves for another run.
Any venom aimed at Jim Tomsula's hiring is misguided. Frustration over Harbaugh's departure is understandable, but projecting it over to the new head coach is hardly justified.
Continuity is exactly what this team needed. The results are TBD, but let's see what this staff brings to the table before we proclaim death.
