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Jeff Garcia wants to coach the San Francisco 49ers

By Brad Berreman

January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers fans hold up a sign for owner Jed York before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers fans hold up a sign for owner Jed York before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi /
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As the San Francisco 49ers search for a head coach again, one of their former quarterbacks would like to be considered.

With the firing Chip Kelly after just one season, the San Francisco 49ers will have their fourth head coach in as many seasons next year. A fairly wide-ranging search looks on track to happen, along with a search for a new general manager, but a former 49ers quarterback wants to throw his hat in the coaching ring.

Jeff Garcia made 71 starts (74 games) under center for the 49ers from 1999-2003, leading the team to the playoffs twice (2001, 2002) and earning three straight Pro Bowl nods from 2000-2002.

Appearing on KNBR radio Wednesday morning, here’s what Garcia had to say about the 49ers coaching vacancy (via NBC Bay Area).

"“Let’s be honest with each other. As much as I believe and feel that I am capable of leading a team, people don’t want you to be able to take the shortcut,” Garcia said on KNBR 1050 on Wednesday morning. “They want you to go through the process — they want you to start as the assistant, they want you to work your way up to the coordinator, they want you to work your way into that head coach position.“I tell you what — the 17 years of professional football experience that I have in my backpocket, and the years of growing up around a father who was a head coach and just being around the game — have prepared me to be the leader of a football team. And that’s what this team needs — they need a leader of the football team.”"

Garcia does have a bit of coaching experience, as quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL in 2014 and an offensive assistant with the St. Louis Rams in 2015. So he wouldn’t be starting completely at square one, but he does face a long climb up the proverbial coaching ladder to becoming a head coach. He has also worked with Mark Sanchez, Tyrod Taylor and Matt McGloin as something along the lines of a private coach.

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Garcia deserves credit for wanting to help turn around the franchise he enjoyed his greatest success with as a player. Quite frankly, whoever does become the new 49ers head coach would do well to consider hiring him as a quarterbacks coach. Garcia may be a NFL head coach some day, but his next step should be finding a job in the league for next season. His comments on Wednesday may help make that happen.