San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Jim Harbaugh has been the subject of widespread rumors in recent days. With the departure of high profile coaches – Texas’ Mack Brown for example – Harbaugh’s name has been included as a possible candidate to fill that position, and others.
He is in the third year of a five year contract that pays him $5 million as the average annual value, but former 49ers’ owner Eddie DeBartolo thinks it’s time for CEO Jed York to lock things up long term, according to a report from CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
"“But like all great coaches, you get to a period of time and . . . Bill (Walsh) was that way, even George (Seifert) was that way,” DeBartolo said. “They get wound really, really tight. And there is a certain period of time when you get a burn out. Some coaches, it’s earlier. Some coaches, it’s later. And some coaches don’t have it.”"
The legendary Walsh went 21-27 through his first three seasons as 49ers’ head coach. He did win a Super Bowl in his third season – and two others after that. Seifert inherited the team from Walsh in 1989 and went 38-10 in his first three seasons – winning a Super Bowl in his first and sixth. Harbaugh came to the 49ers from Stanford, like Walsh, and has guided San Francisco to a Super Bowl berth – their first since 1994 – and has gone 33-11 so far.
More than that, Harbaugh has led San Francisco back to prominence in the NFL. Locking him up to a long-term contract has to be a priority, according to DeBartolo.
"“I think it’s important that he gets things tied up,” DeBartolo said. “And we talked yesterday and I think they’re well on their way of getting it done.”"