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San Francisco 49ers: 5 Steps to Fix the Franchise in 2017

By Peter Panacy

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York addresses the media in a press conference after naming Chip Kelly (not pictured) as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York addresses the media in a press conference after naming Chip Kelly (not pictured) as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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April 19, 2012; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new 49ers stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
April 19, 2012; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers chief executive officer Jed York speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new 49ers stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 3: Create a Clear Vision for the 49ers

When Hall of Famer Steve Young called out the York family on a recent interview with KNBR 680, one of the other things Young pointed out was how the 49ers lack any sort of identity.

What is San Francisco’s identity right now?

Fans knew what it was during the years under head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Niners were a team that was going to beat you up on both sides of the ball, grind you down with the running game and simply overpower you with strong offensive and defensive lines.

Whatever identity the 2016 49ers have isn’t working. Fans know this too.

So this points to an increasingly important aspect of those “football people,” described on the previous slide, into focus — create some sort of vision.

Exactly what this vision is, I can’t say. But Fortune 500 businesses all have clear visions. They have short-, medium-, and long-term goals laid out with reasonable objectives and the means by which to achieve them. This approach is what makes such businesses successful.

San Francisco needs to be patient too. As noted earlier, this isn’t going to be a one- or two-year rebuild. It’s going to take a while.

Create a plan and go with it. The identity will follow.