SANTA CLARA -- Former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said Sunday on the team's pregame show that he is in favor of an overhaul of the club's football operations.
Baalke declined comment to CSNBayArea.com when he entered Levi's Stadium before Sunday's season finale, but he appeared on the team's pregame show, as he has done all season.
Radio analyst Tim Ryan asked if Baalke is in favor of an organizational "re-set" on KNBR, the 49ers' flagship station. CEO Jed York, who fired Baalke on Friday, is expected to meet with coach Chip Kelly after Sunday's game and fire him, too.
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“I’m a big fan,” Baalke said of an organizational overhaul. “Sometimes you need to re-set the culture. When you have a winning culture, which we did in 2011, '12, '13 and '14, a lot of good football players. A lot of memorable games we went through together. Then you transition. At some point, those veteran guys move on. Blending in with younger guys, and sometimes it takes a little longer than you’d like. And this is probably one of those situations. But I do think there’s some very good young talent on this team. With a good offseason, the right re-set, I think good things are ahead for them.”
Baalke chose to attend the team's final game of the season Sunday despite being told on Friday that he was fired.
“It was the right thing to do. This is a class organization,” Baalke said. “You know, I’ve been here since 2005 and I have a lot of respect for the organization as a whole, and the ownership, the fan base. It’s difficult, but it’s the right thing to do.”
Baalke served as the 49ers' general manager from 2011 until Friday. He was named NFL Executive of the Year in his first season, but the 49ers have fallen on hard times. Baalke hired Jim Harbaugh shortly after taking over as general manager. But when Harbaugh was let go after an 8-8 season in 2014, Baalke also chose Jim Tomsula over Adam Gase. When Tomsula was fired after one season, Baalke hired Chip Kelly.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are 2-13, entering Sunday's season finale against the Seattle Seahawks.
“It didn’t surprise me,” Baalke said of the firing. “We’ve done some awful good things. Some very successful seasons. Unfortunately regret we weren’t able to bring a championship to the Bay Area, which they so deserve. I think The Faithful has been great. Wish this organization nothing but the best moving forward. I do see a bright future for them.”