One and Done: 49ers Fire Jim Tomsula

He said that he’s been talking to his uncle, Eddie DeBartolo, his mentor, and the former owner of the 49ers – “the best owner in the history of sports” – and that they’ll be in close communication as the 49ers get back on the path to winning the only thing that matters – a Super Bowl.

“I hear the criticism, loudly”.

The 49ers fired their rookie head coach a year after the team’s divorce from Jim Harbaugh.

After only one season as the team’s head coach, the San Francisco 49ers have fired Jim Tomsula.

York made it clear to reporters that while he wouldn’t be disclosing any specific candidates, he has a clear understanding of what the team was looking for and a short list of candidates in mind.

Elevated from his defensive line coaching duties in an unconventional, surprising promotion by CEO Jed York last January, Tomsula went 5-11 as the Niners missed the playoffs for the second straight season.

“My family has owned this team since before I was born, and they ll own this team after I was gone”, York said. And, the question looms as far as the future of Trent Baalke. “So we’ll have him in the offseason program”. “Trent has the skills to do this and get this done”.

York and Baalke don’t have a firm idea of how to set up a front office, nurture a quarterback or get a 53-man roster ready to compete for championships. The defense, while respectable at home, ranked No. 18 in the league with 387 points against.

“You know, as much as I’d like to share how I feel about the team, it’s not helpful for our club for me to talk about how I feel when we win, how I feel when we lose”, York said. I struggle with classifying the seventh overall pick as a reward following such a dismal season.

Yes, the 49ers will essentially be starting all over again, from scratch, and who knows if any good coaching candidate will want to deal with Baalke’s over-arching power and York’s meddling.

“It’s ultimately a distraction”, York said.

The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns are going to have new head coaches, they’re going to need to find assistants to fill out their staff.

About an hour after a 19-16, season-ending win over the St. Louis Rams in overtime, Tomsula said he had yet to speak with ownership about his status “and wouldn’t expect to until the season is over”.

In the off season, the roster from the previous three years was a fraction of what it was.

York indicated that Baalke will stay with the team, and help guide the team’s search for the next head coach. I have no one to blame but myself for that. We want somebody that has a clear strategic vision.

(AP Photo/Tony Avelar). San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula gestures during the first half of an NFL football game between the 49ers and the St. Louis Rams in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016. “It’s always been a good time with him”. Which means, next year’s probably going to suck as much as this one did.

But there was excitement too, like this outstanding 37-yard run against the Arizona Cardinals, probably his season highlight. This one said: “Jed – Here’s our banner”.