Harbuaghs lands him with Niners; Broncos overtures fall on deaf ears
Jim Harbuagh, the former Stanford Cardinals coach, who is, without question, the hottest coaching candidate of the NFL’s 2011 off-season, decided to stay close to home when he chose to leave Palo Alto’s campus for the rolling hills of San Francisco. On the afternoon of Jan. 7, Harbaugh made his intentions official, signing a 5-year, $25 million contract with the 49ers.
Jed York, president and CEO of the 49ers, got a bit of his credibility back with Harbaugh’s signing. After making repeated statements during the season that the 49ers would win the NFC West, York was seemingly ready to move on much sooner than former head coach Mike Singletary’s Dec. 29 firing would have indicated. The biggest issue was that York seemingly felt it would be a disservice to the franchise to remove the head coach with the team still in playoff contention. After a [heated argument on the sidelines with QB Tory Smith, and the team’s subsequent playoff-eliminating loss at the hands of intra-division rival St. Louis, Singletary was fired at the team’s Santa Clara facility shortly after the team’s return flight, with a week still remaining on the regular season schedule.
While the 49ers may have found their coach of the future, the Denver Broncos’ interest in Harbaugh barely created a ripple. Other than the encounter between Harbaugh and Broncos’ new VP of Football Operations John Elway at the Orange Bowl, where Elway, a Stanford alumnus, was selected to serve as an honorary captain, the Broncos didn’t have the budget to compete with the Niners and the Miami Dolphins, who were also in hot pursuit.
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In fact, the team with the most egg on its face after Harbuagh-palooza 2011 is undoubtedly the Dolphins. After rumors that they would be moving on from current head coach Tony Sparano surfaced, the Dolphins met with Harbaugh to discuss their head coaching position, essentially allowing Sparano to twist in the wind. Rumors were that the Dolphins were willing to go as high as $8 million annually, well above the $5 million that Harbaugh would eventually take. In fact, the rumors were so persistent that many of the Dolphins current coaching staff were reported to have packed their boxes earlier in the week. Dolphin’s G.M. Jeff Ireland is thought to be the reason why high-profile candidates, such as Harbaugh and former Pittsburgh Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher, have shied away from taking their talents to South Beach.
The Broncos, however, seem to be content with taking their time, and are planning to interview a number of assistant coaches currently guiding their teams through the playoffs. Whether they can find one that will rejuvenate fan interest and fit within their budget remains to be seen.
