I wrote an article after the Thursday night football massacre claiming that the San Francisco 49er coaches should be fired. I stand by that statement, and demonstrate proof.

The Miami Dolphins were a hideous team until just over two weeks ago when they fired their head coach Joe Philbin, as well as their defensive coordinator. The interim coach, Dan Campbell, led them to a 38-10 win over Tennessee last week, and as I am writing this, they are ahead of the Houston Texans by a score of 44-26. The only change has been the coaching staff.

Many fans, and even some so-called experts believe that talent alone will win championships; coaching makes little difference. They would be wrong. In the NFL, the most Super Bowl wins belong to the Pittsburgh Steelers with six. Four were won while the legendary Chuck Noll was at the helm; one with Bill Cowher, and one with present coach Mike Tomlin. All of these men are exceptional at their position. The San Francisco 49ers have five Lombardi trophies, three under the innovative Bill Walsh, and two with George Seifert. The Dallas Cowboys have five as well. Two wins were under one of the greatest coaches who ever lived, Tom Landry, two with Jimmy Johnson in control, and one with Barry Switzer, who inherited Johnson’s team and coaching staff. Under Bill Belichick’s guidance, the New England Patriots have won four Super Bowls.

Does anyone need more proof than these facts? Twenty of 49 Super Bowls have been won by four teams, and only nine coaches.

Miami can now control its own destiny. It appears that the only thing which might derail them would be injuries, which are not in the control of the head coach. The 49ers have no resemblance to the teams who reached the NFC Championship games just a few years ago. It’s true that they have lost numerous talented personnel, but some have been replaced by equally talented players, and they have the same quarterback. But in Thursday night’s game, Colin Kaepernick looked confused and uncertain, not to mention the fact that he was sacked six times.

For sports teams, from the high school level to the professionals, coaching makes a great difference. The 49ers are doomed unless the owners make a decision to change leadership on the field, and it must happen sooner than later.

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

Photo Courtesy of Stab At Sleep