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There was quite a bit of turmoil over the past few days regarding San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and his future with the team. Talk of going back to the college ranks and talk of wanting more money than he's proven he's worth has definitely shaken up a good deal of us here, but there is one thing we need to put into perspective:
We are fans of a team that has an awesome coach. Personality-wise, I love the guy, and I know for a fact that I'd probably hate his guts if I were a fan of an opposing team, which makes him all the better in my eyes. But as an actual coach, he's done some really great things. Play-calling and clock management have not been his strong suits, at least this season, but otherwise, he's shown to be effective and up to the task at hand.
Why am I pointing this out? Because the 49ers are about to play a team that's young, talented and better than its record would indicate. Oh, and they have a huge question mark at the head coach spot.
If and when Greg Schiano loses his job, it won't be because he took the fall for a team that wasn't good enough. It will be because the locker room doesn't buy into his system, they don't like his team-wide policies and he just hasn't been much of a strategist. Schiano is pretty much universally disliked, with more than his share of detractors coming from within the organization itself.
Before Schiano, it was Raheem Morris. He seemed to be an up-and-coming head coach, but he proved ineffective when it came to actually fielding a competent team on gamedays. There's a lot of talent on that roster, but it's far from stable.
It also brings up this interesting scenario: could the 49ers get Schiano fired on Sunday? Granted, Schiano has picked up a few recent wins, which might earn him some good faith through to the offseason, but I'm confident that he's fired before next season gets underway. A loss to the 49ers is not a loss to be ashamed of, but it's worth noting the possibility regardless. Maybe the 49ers put up 50 points and Schiano is ran out of town. Who knows?
