Jim Harbaugh Signed to Coach the San Francisco 49ers
Although, Stanford put forth strong offers to retain Harbaugh, it was not enough to keep him there. The Miami Dolphins were also showing interest in Harbaugh but once news leaked that he would not pursue going to Miami, the 49ers increased their offer. It was said that Harbaugh admired Bill Walsh, and Walsh also made the jump from Stanford to the 49ers coaching position.
This will be a huge blow to the Stanford football program. Harbaugh has proven himself to be one of the best coaches they have ever had. He really built the program up and did it within the NCAA guidelines. His recruiting will probably help the team to be solid for the next couple of years, if the next coach to come in does not dismantle Harbaugh's hard work.
This is not the first time Harbaugh has been in the NFL. He once joined the league as a player and a first round pick in the draft. In 2002-2003 he was also with the Oakland Raiders as a quarterbacks' coach. He then had a stint with San Diego University. Harbaugh now comes back to the NFL on the other side of the "Battle of the Bay".
The San Francisco deal is for a five year contract. The deal is for $25 million over the full five years. There have been no reports on any additional incentives or bonuses that might be in the contract. Stanford also has not released what their final offer was entailing and Harbaugh has not stated why he turned them down.
The 49ers started this season off 0-5 and ended the season 6-10. In 2009 the 49ers had a .500 season with an 8-8 record. In 2008 the 49ers had another losing season with 7-9. In short, Harbaugh will certainly have is work cut out for him to bring this team back up to shape. The days of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana have long passed, but perhaps Harbaugh will find a way to bring glory back to the San Francisco 49ers. We will soon see how the 49er fans react to his presence in San Francisco.
Sources:
Adam Schefter, "Sources: Jim Harbaugh, 49ers Agree", ESPN.com News Services
Published by Kaitlyn Joseph
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