Jed York announced on Sunday via released statement that the San Francisco 49ers have fired head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke. A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT on Monday, at which point we’ll hear from the 49ers CEO.
In the meantime, he offered comment to MMQB editor Peter King. And as has been the case for his media appearances much of the last three years, when it is time for him to circle the wagons, you can always count on at least one Bill Walsh reference. He seems to think that is a bone to be thrown to fans to calm them down.
York told King, “I just think it’s time for us to re-establish a championship culture.” He said they needed to “clean house” to do that, saying “What went wrong, I think, was a disconnect at the top ... Not seeing the roster the same way, not being on the same page in personnel. That’s why I think it’s important to hit the reset button.”
King ask York how he thought he could get a new coach after firing the last two so quickly. York offered up this entirely predictable line:
“People have felt like that before,” York said, “and we were able to hire a coach of the year, and GM of the year. And we were able to win a championship.”
So, when asked why he thinks things will be fine, he refers to hiring Bill Walsh nearly 40 years ago. As though that means things will magically turn around and everything will be alright.
The 49ers very well could find the right guys for GM and head coach. There are some quality candidates out there, and even a blind squirrel can find a nut. The 49ers could get the right guys and turn this thing around in short order. Or, Jed’s arrogance remains a stumbling block and the 49ers remain in a perpetual cycle of mediocrity. It’s an entirely unpredictable situation. My hope is what lets me think the 49ers could get lucky. But thinking of the reality of the situation, it’s hard to get excited about this process. But again, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.