49ers Hire New Coach and GM … But Still Need Better Leadership

By Robert Haugh

The big news at 49ers headquarters is that they have a new coach and general manager. We hear both have spurred much needed excitement in the building – this would be like The Rock returning at WrestleMania to thunderous applause.

Kyle Shanahan was hired after leading the high powered Atlanta Falcons offense to a near victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Former NFL defensive standout John Lynch was hired as general manager after leaving Fox Sports.

At the press conference, Jed York seemed relieved. He had been searching for a coach and general manager for about a month. Many of his top choices either wouldn’t interview with him, or landed with other teams. But, they seem to have lucked out and hired two potentially good people. We’ll give credit to Jed York for not being afraid to hit the reset button. The team was losing and needed new leadership badly.

Now, we, like most Santa Clarans, wonder if he’ll do the same with his non-football leadership. Afterall, their record isn’t very good either. Here are the 49ers non-football low-lights:

• They tried to take the soccer park from soccer kids and failed, leaving them with nothing and creating lots of bad feelings in the community.
• They tried to lower their own rent. Seriously.
• They won’t turn over documents for a City audit which makes people think that they are hiding something big.
• They have their fingerprints all over BluPAC, a dark money organization that tried to take over the City Council and they won’t just deny that they’ve funded them.
• They brought in dozens of employees by bus to city hall to attack Mayor Lisa Gillmor whose popularity in Santa Clara is sky high.
• Then, to top it off, they sued the city, their landlords. Go figure.

Maybe Shanahan and Lynch could take over the community relations department, too. They just have to make smart moves instead of boneheaded ones. It’ll be easier than finding a starting quarterback.