NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers won’t replace Jim Harbaugh with Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden
By Josh Hill
The San Francisco 49ers are in a bit of an interesting situation with head coach Jim Harbaugh, as all he’s done is win for the team and bring them to title games. But despite his success with the team, there is growing animosity between the Harbaugh and the Niners and it could lead to a nasty divorce.
If such a thing happens, the Niners have a contingency plan in place, but it doesn’t involve replacing the big name Harbaugh with another big name head coach. According to Bill Williamson, the Niners will be replacing Harbaugh from within and won’t chase after a huge name like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher.
"I really doubt it. If the Harbaugh situation blows up after this season, I would think the 49ers would first look at an existing assistant such as offensive coordinator Greg Roman, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio or defensive line coach Jim Tomsula. I wouldn’t think a big-name, out-of-work coach is where the 49ers would first look if somehow Harbaugh is not in the picture."
This is wildly early to be considering Gruden and Cowher in head coaching searches, but the Niners are a very attractive destination. Still, the Harbaugh situation hasn’t completely blowup yet, but if it does the Niners know what they’re going to do.