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Jim Tomsula should not be among gambling favorites as first head coach fired

The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of questions amidst preparations for the 2015 season. As they get ready for their preseason opener, odds have posted with Jim Tomsula among the favorites to be the first HC fired. I think that might be unlikely.

The San Francisco 49ers get their preseason started Saturday evening, and already odds have been released on which head coach will be the first one fired. The 49ers have not played a down of football yet, but already, Jim Tomsula is among the favorites to be the first coach fired this season.

Earlier this week, the Bookmaker sports book released their lines on which coach will get canned, and Jim Tomsula showed up fourth at +1200. The top three are Jay Gruden, Mike Pettine and Ken Whisenhunt. Jeff Fisher is No. 10, and the nearest NFC West rival. Fisher somehow manages to stick around through year-in and year-out mediocrity, but at some point I have to think the team considers turning over a new leaf. They have stocked up on defensive line talent, and finally parted ways with Sam Bradford, in a trade for Nick Foles. At some point Fisher's teams need to actually win some games.

But back to Tomsula, I just don't see him as a good bet to get fired first. That's not to say he will be successful in his first year. Rather, firing Tomsula quickly would reflect poorly on the 49ers front office and ownership following the departure of Jim Harbaugh. Effectively, if the team struggles under Tomsula, stubbornness might keep him on the job longer than might otherwise normally happen. They can't push the odds too much, but I just would not put my money on it at this point.

If I were to roll the dice on a coach getting fired, I might actually go with Joe Philbin. Expectations have climbed in Miami, but they still have some questions. If they struggle out of the gate, Philbin could be kicked to the curb sooner rather than later.

Rank Coach Team Odds
1 Jay Gruden Washington +250
2 Mike Pettine Cleveland +550
3 Ken Whisenhunt Tennessee +750
4 Jim Tomsula San Francisco +1200
5 Joe Philbin Miami +1500
5 Sean Payton New Orleans +1500
7 Gus Bradley Jacksonville +1800
8 Chip Kelly Philadelphia +2000
8 Lovie Smith Tampa Bay +2000
10 Jeff Fisher St. Louis +2500
10 Jim Caldwell Detroit +2500
12 Marvin Lewis Cincinnati +2700
13 Mike Zimmer Minnesota +3000
13 Bill O'Brien Houston +3000
15 Tom Coughlin New York Giants +3300
16 Jack Del Rio Oakland +3500
16 John Fox Chicago +3500
16 Andy Reid Kansas City +3500
16 Ron Rivera Carolina +3500
20 Todd Bowles New York Jets +4000
20 Mike McCoy San Diego +4000
22 Rex Ryan Buffalo +4500
22 Dan Quinn Atlanta +4500
24 Jason Garrett Dallas +5000
25 Gary Kubiak Denver +6000
26 Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh +7500
27 Bruce Arians Arizona +10000
27 John Harbaugh Baltimore +10000
29 Chuck Pagano Indianapolis +15000
29 Mike McCarthy Green Bay +15000
31 Pete Carroll Seattle +25000
31 Bill Belichick New England +25000