The San Francisco 49ers coach search looks like it will extend at least a few more days, if not longer. Tim Kawakami is reporting that he is hearing the 49ers are no longer in the hunt for Hue Jackson. Kawakami did suggest there was always the possibility they circle back on this, but for now they are looking elsewhere.
Sounds like the 49ers are no longer in the Hue Jackson sweepstakes. They COULD double-back, but sounds like that pursuit is over for now.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) January 12, 2016
Kawakami talked about something happening in the last few days, and it would seem most likely that the Browns reportedly offering significant say in personnel control would be enough to remove the 49ers from the discussion. Trent Baalke has full control of the roster, and there was speculation he had some control over game-day decisions as well. Even if the coach had full control of the 46-man roster, it's reasonable to infer Trent Baalke does not plan on giving up any control over 53-man and 90-man roster decisions.
Mike Silver would not rule out the 49ers yet, but my guess is while Silver has his primary source in Hue Jackson, Kawakami has his share of good sources with the 49ers. But who knows
I'm done Tweeting about Hue Jackson for now, until there's news to report. I stand by what I've said to this point: nothing done, no one out
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 12, 2016
And so, if any of this is true, we are left to wait on a coaching search that is turning into something none of us really wanted. A potentially lengthy process that results in a choice that was nowhere near the top of the 49ers wish list early on. Maybe it all works out fine. Maybe they find that long-term franchise coach. And yet, I think it is entirely reasonable to be skeptical about this process. Props to them if they figure this all out, but I am not exactly enamored with where things currently stand.
If Jackson is off the board, who are your top three choices? Mine would probably include Tom Coughlin, Dirk Koetter, and Chip Kelly. Some will look to Mike Shanahan or Mike Holmgren, but I'd prefer coaches with more recent experience. And at the very least, Kelly brings a potential crazy entertainment factor I am not willing to discount!