49ers' York will let future GM hire head coach

Dec. 27, 2010MAIOCCO ARCHIVE49ERS PAGE49ERS VIDEOMatt MaioccoCSNBayArea.comSANTA CLARA -- Team president Jed York will hire the next 49ers' general manager. The general manager will hire the head coach.Those were the key points of York's press conference today in which he formally introduced defensive line coach Jim Tomsula as 49ers interim head coach after firing Mike Singletary on Sunday evening.NEWS: 49ers fire head coach Mike Singletary

The 49ers had big plans for the season. York believed they would win the NFC West and be a Super Bowl contender. But the 49ers' 25-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday knocked the 49ers to 5-10 on the season and out of playoff contention.

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"When that (the expectation) was not realized, I wanted to make sure we were setting ourselves up for the remainder of this season, but more importantly for next season," York said. "And when we look at next season, there are a lot of things that are uncertain, (specifically) the labor issues."I'm not sure when our players are going to be back next season, so I wanted to make sure that we didn't have a coaching turnover going into that. I wanted to make sure that this week and immediately following our last game we're focusing on the players."Tomsula apologized to York for not wearing a suit to the press conference on Monday. He was watching film Sunday when York informed him of his desire to make Tomsula the interim coach. Tomsula did not go home.Tomsula said his No. 1 priority is to win Sunday's season finale against the Arizona Cardinals. One of the first questions was whom would be the 49ers' starting quarterback."We won't drag all that out," he said. "Later on today, we'll sit down with the personnel department and all the coaches and go through all those things and look at the entire roster go through normal protocol and we'll have an answer on that."Here are some more of what Jed York had to say at today's press conference:--He hopes Tomsula remains with the 49ers for a "long, long time," but acknowledges that decision will rest with the future head coach.--York said he would consult his uncle, Eddie DeBartolo, through the process of hiring a general manager. He said he will also talk to the New England Patriots chair Robert Kraft and president Jonathan Kraft.RELATED: 49ers FAQ's: First GM, then coach, then QB
"My uncle is probably the best person out there and there are a lot of others I will talk to," York said. "He's the person I'll get the most advice from."But, ultimately, he said, "I'll be the one hiring the general manager."--York plans to interview several candidates, beginning this week, who are not currently employed in the NFL. Those individuals are off-limits during the regular season. Former Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist has been confirmed as a candidate, Comcast SportsNet has learned. Sundquist is expected to meet with York this week.--Niners vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke is a candidate, York said. Baalke filled a GM-type role with 49ers for the past nine months after former general manager Scot McCloughan's departure."I know what Trent has done with us," York said. "And it's a lot easier to evaluate somebody when they're here working with you. we need to go out and evaluate a lot of other people."--York said the 49ers will not necessarily look for "big names" to fill the roles of general manager and head coach."I've spoken to a lot of people that have been in and around the game this season to get their feedback on how to build a team," York said. "I think when you look at teams that have been successful out there, it's not about hiring the flashiest name as your head coach or GM or both. It's about making sure the GM and head coach are really working together. you need your general manager, and your general manager is a person who is going to live and die with the coach."--The 49ers struck out with Mike Nolan and Singletary. Nolan has been a very competent defensive coordinator. Singletary was a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears, who was never a coordinator.RELATED: Statement from Mike Singletary
"I wouldn't say we're looking strictly at an offensive-minded head coach, but I think we've had a lot of problems on the offensive side of the ball," York said. "So if it's not an offensive-minded head coach, it has to be somebody who has experience in dealing with the NFL and in dealing with putting together a staff."So I wouldn't say we're only looking at offensive-minded people, but if it is a defensive-minded head coach, it has to be somebody who understands how to put an offensive staff together."--York said the pool of head-coaching candidates will include those who might find themselves out of a job at the end of the season."Obviously, some coaches who aren't retained will be potential candidates for us," York said. "There are a lot of coaches on the street who are potential candidates for us. There are a lot of guys who have been coordinators and been successful, so there's a broad array."But that's not me putting that list together. I'm not going to say, 'You're the GM but you can't hire this guy as head coach.' The GM will hire the head coach."