Report: Hue Jackson is front-runner for San Francisco 49ers job
According to a report, Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is the front-runner for the 49ers head coaching job.
The bay area could soon be seeing the return of a familiar name.
According to Tim Kawakami, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson has elevated himself as the front-runner for the head coaching position in San Francisco. Jackson will interview with the team on Sunday, and if he became the head coach, he would be returning to the bay after coaching the Oakland Raiders in 2011.
NFL source: Hue Jackson is the clear front-runner for the 49ers job, pending his interview on Sunday.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) January 8, 2016
When Jackson was fired by the Raiders in 2011, many were shocked by his firing and considered him a good coach. In Cincinnati, he proved his offensive prowess by taking a Bengals offense under Andy Dalton and turning them into one of the better functioning units in 2015.
Jackson has always been a popular guy among his peers and his players in the league, which is something the 49ers need right now. While Jim Tomsula turned out to be a massive failure, Jackson would bring some excitement back to the 49ers on offense, depending upon what they do with the quarterback spot.
If they draft a young quarterback like a Jared Goff high in the draft, then suddenly Jackson would have his quarterback of the future to work with.
If they don’t go quarterback high, then perhaps he could salvage what he can out of Blaine Gabbert or see what he can do with Colin Kaepernick, although that seems like a long shot for the 49ers to keep him around.
Both Jed York and Trent Baalke know that they have to make the right hire this time or it could mean their jobs. If they could land Jackson from Cincinnati, it would seem like a great hire on paper.