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After eight known external interviews, including a second sitdown with one candidate, the San Francisco 49ersare staying in-house.
Jim Tomsula, who has been the Niners’ defensive line coach since 2007, was promoted to succeed Jim Harbaugh, the team announced Wednesday. Tomsula, who was the interim head coach at the end of 2010 after Mike Singletary was fired, led the team to a 38-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals in its final game of the season as it finished 6-20.
“After conducting a thorough coaching search, and meeting with a number of outstanding candidates, Jim Tomsula clearly is the right man to lead this team,” CEO Jed York said in a statement. “Jim is a great teacher and a tremendous mentor who conducts himself with great class and integrity.”
The well-liked Tomsula, 46, is set to be formally introduced Thursday in a news conference at Levi’s Stadium.
York said a day after the season ended that he wanted to find a “teacher” to lead the franchise forward. Certainly a coach familiar with the operation was important as the 49ers build around quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is coming off a disappointing year.
“Our organization is excited to have Jim Tomsula leading this football team,” general manager Trent Baalke said. “We have had the privilege of working alongside Jim for the past eight seasons. He is a proven leader, teacher and mentor, and we look forward to seeing him apply his craft and vision to our team.”
In tabbing a popular locker room figure in Tomsula, though, the Niners figure to lose defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who interviewed for the job on Dec. 30. The Niners’ defense was its strength in an up-and-down 8-8 season, in which it ranked fifth in the league in total defense.
And there are questions about whom Tomsula brings in to replace offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who left for the Buffalo Bills. Because the Niners’ offense tried to reinvent itself last year from a ground-and-pound attack to more of a spread passing offense, Roman’s replacement will seemingly have to make better use of the personnel at his disposal.