Harbaugh Out: Head Coach and 49ers Decide To Part Ways

Photo Credit: Troy Taormina – USA Today

After the San Francisco 49ers finished off their season 8-8 with a 20-17 win against the Arizona Cardinals, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and the organization have decided to part ways.  Harbaugh had one year left in his five-year, $25 million contract.

Everywhere Harbaugh has gone, those teams found success. At University of San Diego, he went 29-6 in three years with two league championships before bolting to Stanford.

During his tenure at with the Cardinals, he pulled off statistically the greatest upset in College Football History (Defeated 41 point favorite #1 USC), earned the team’s first bowl berth since 2001 in the 2009 season, and a BCS Bowl win in the 2010 Orange Bowl. Coach Harbaugh finished his Stanford career 29-21.

As for Harbaugh and the 49ers, it seemed like the perfect match, and it showed in their first three seasons together. San Francisco reached three NFC Championships in a row all while going through a QB change. A few plays ending in different results, you would have the 49ers with multiple SuperBowl wins.

Fast forward to this year with all the locker room turmoil, injuries, star suspensions, and under-performance, the Niners missed the playoffs for the first time under Harbaugh and finished the season 1-4 in the last five games.

After today’s game CEO Jed York released a statement regarding the coach: “Jim and I have come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to move in different directions,” he said. “We thank Jim for bringing a tremendous competitive nature and a great passion for the game to the 49ers. He and his staff restored a winning culture that has been the standard for our franchise throughout its history. Their commitment and hard work resulted in a period of success that should be looked back on proudly by our organization and our fans. We wish Jim and his family all the best.”

Harbaugh finishes his career in San Francisco with a 44-19-1 with a 5-3 postseason record. One final press conference will be held Monday to officially announce his departure and say his goodbyes. There have been reports from people close to Harbaugh that he is on his way to his Alma Mater and taking the Michigan coaching job which maybe announced as quickly as Tuesday.