San Francisco 49ers: An Autopsy of the 2015 NFL Season
By Peter Panacy
Nov 1, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula looks on against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Lackluster Efforts from Jim Tomsula and Co.
The 49ers needed a headstrong head coach with a clear vision to lead the team through all the tumult that transpired following the 2014 season.
Instead, San Francisco elected to go with Jim Tomsula — a longtime NFL man with plenty of experience coaching the defensive line and a head-coaching stint in NFL Europe.
August 24, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback coach Geep Chryst during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Chargers 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Adequate enough? Not exactly.
Can Tomsula be an effective head coach at this level? It’s possible. But there isn’t any way to assume Tomsula was adequately prepared enough to handle all that was on the table.
Tomsula inherited a mess. That’s not his fault. And it shouldn’t be his fault for accepting the promotion.
But the feel-good atmosphere that surrounded Tomsula’s acceptance to the position, largely by the players themselves, has all but evaporated. And now, there are even reports Tomsula is having disagreements with some of the established veterans on the roster.
San Francisco wasn’t exactly beneficial to the head coach in its selection of its coordinators. While defensive coordinator Eric Mangini is having some success with his unit, offensive coordinator Geep Chryst has seen his offense fall to dead last in the league.
All of this leads to losing. And losing isn’t fun.
A forward-thinking question would be whether or not Tomsula retains his job in 2016.
suspects this will happen as indicated in the following video:
And this may be out of sheer necessity. After all, if Tomsula is dismissed, who would want to come in and work for CEO Jed York — a front-office type who has a history of “parting ways” with successful head coaches based on personalities?
For better or for worse, it looks as if Tomsula will be here to stay next season.
Next: Underachievement All Around