Top 10 Biggest Mistakes the 49ers Have Made Since 2015
By Peter Panacy
No. 8: Promoting Jim Tomsula to Head Coach in 2015
Out went head coach Jim Harbaugh. Up moved former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to the position.
Almost everyone will agree Tomsula was pushed into a position for which he wasn’t qualified. And the thought he inherited a mess of a situation, after all those player departures last year, didn’t make things easier on the one-and-done head coach.
This was a clear mistake from San Francisco’s brass. But it hurts more considering what the 49ers lost when Tomsula was fired.
Yes, Tomsula has some positive attributes.
Before his promotion, Tomsula was one of the better defensive line coaches in the NFL. Dating back to 2007, the Niners enjoyed a steady drop in yards allowed, until they were among the league’s elite during the early years of this decade.
And the D-line was a primary reason. We know names like now-retired defensive end Justin Smith. But Tomsula was also responsible for maximizing the ability of players like Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois. This unit had a meanness and physicality not seen since Tomsula left.
Just think what Tomsula could have done over an extended period with now-49ers DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead and Ronald Blair.