2014 Current and Potential Coaches

[VikingPaul73]

Chargers lost. Whisenhunt is free to interview. I've seen no indication the Vikings have interest. Too bad.

All indications point to Whisenhunt to the Lions. I wouldn't be surprised to hear an announcement tomorrow.

[Mothman]

Chargers lost. Whisenhunt is free to interview. I've seen no indication the Vikings have interest. Too bad.

Actually, the Vikes have expressed interest but Whisenhunt hasn't interviewed with them (at least not yet). I get the impression he's not interested in the job. If that's true, it's hard to blame him when you consider the way things went for him in Arizona after Warner retired and then look at the Vikes QB situation.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Thanks!

I like what I've read. I haven't had the time to be ultra-comprehensive in reading up on candidates, but what I've read on Zimmer sounds good.

Yes I have liked him for quite some time now. The article you posted was a very good read. When the author mentioned "judgement of talent", it was EXACTLY what I've been saying about Frazier all along and I've posted it on here as well. Zimmer can make nobody's into somebody's and that is one thing that intrigued me most. It makes you wonder how many diamonds in the rough we have on this team (Mauti, Hodges, etc?). Who knows but I want Zimmer and I want him bad

[Demi]

Actually, the Vikes have expressed interest but Whisenhunt hasn't interviewed with them (at least not yet). I get the impression he's not interested in the job. If that's true, it's hard to blame him when you consider the way things went for him in Arizona after Warner retired and then look at the Vikes QB situation.

Yeah a week ago Peter King (I think it was him) reported he was only interested in a job with an established QB.

[Webbfann]

Yeah, an established QB translates to "hell if I'm going to play outside in freaking MINNESOTA after working in San Diego"

[Pondering Her Percy]

Yeah, an established QB translates to "hell if I'm going to play outside in freaking MINNESOTA after working in San Diego"

Personally, I'm not a big Whisenhunt fan so I could care less who he signs with. However, I don't think the weather is why he isn't interested. He's had bad luck with QB's outside of Warner so I can't blame the guy. I'd take Zimmer any day over Whisenhunt.

[PurpleHalo]

There's no way for us to know the answer to that question. What we know is Carr had his best season as a pro when Roman was working with him. Luck was obviously terrific at Stanford. The 49ers QBs have been good with Roman as their OC too. Maybe Harbaugh had a lot to do with the Luck, Smith and Kaepernick and maybe not but if Harbaugh did have a lot to do with the success those QBs had, it seems reasonable to think some what he did to help those players might inform what Roman himself does going forward. I would hope that Roman picked up some useful knowledge along the way.

It seems the other 49ers-related interview the Vikes conducted has been lost in the shuffle. It was also reported that they were going to interview 49ers DL coach Jim Tomsula yesterday. I don't know if the interview actually took place or not but he's an interesting candidate. His only NFL experience has been with the 49ers as defensive line coach (and interim coach for one game after Singletary was fired). He was a coordinator in NFLE and was head coach of the Rhein Fire during that league's final season so he has head coaching experience at a lower tier level of football. Tomsula is reportedly an up-and-comer, a coach whose players love him and who has obviously been very successful as a position coach. He's supposedly highly respected by his peers. I wonder if he's a dark horse candidate to get the job.

I have heard some speculation, that they could be looking at him for defensive coordinator, which I don't know if that makes any sense. 49ers are a 3-4 unit, unless Roman told them he's taking Tomsula with if hired and they wanted to learn about him some. If they hire Zimmer that makes even less sense, he is a 4-3 guy. But hey, maybe they are looking at him as a head coach, if so maybe a dark horse like you said.

[Slick Rick]

I wonder if one of Rick's "13 traits" is beating the Packers. Here's hoping we land Roman and Tomsula!

[Demi]

Not sure I want to gamble whether or not it was Harbaugh or Roman...and a year of high school coaching before Harbaugh signed him? What is that?

Hopefully we get Zimmer.

[Slick Rick]

Not sure I want to gamble whether or not it was Harbaugh or Roman...and a year of high school coaching before Harbaugh signed him? What is that?

Hopefully we get Zimmer.

Well you figure that if he's Harbaugh's guy, someone who I know for a fact knows good coaching, he's probably pretty good.

I'm more interested in bringing that kind of a system over here than I am in trying to analyze whether or not they're truly responsible for SF's successes over the last few years. A lot of it just has to do with talent, the rest of it is scheming and being able to motivate your players, and I like the scheme they've got, we'll see if they have that coaches edge. I'm guessing if they are hired, then the answer is yes. One of the biggest things that Rick was talking about was the ability to sell your system to the players, so I think he'd be pretty thorough in that aspect of the coaching search.

I wouldn't be disappointed with any one of the three supposed finalists.

[Cin]

I will hate you guys if you take Zimmer away from us. But in the same breath, I wish for him nothing but the best. Even if it means you guys win the Super Bowl.

[mondry]

I will hate you guys if you take Zimmer away from us. But in the same breath, I wish for him nothing but the best. Even if it means you guys win the Super Bowl.

This is what I like most about Zimmer, although there is a lot to like all over, every where you look, Bengals fans mention things like this. If some team wanted to hire Musgrave or Williams (god help them if they did but hypothetical) I'd be like "hurray I can't believe someone is taking this clown off our hands!" But with Zimmer it's always "no don't take him from us!" and "he's super respected by just about everyone, including his players!" kind of comments.

[Texas Vike]

This is what I like most about Zimmer, although there is a lot to like all over, every where you look, Bengals fans mention things like this. If some team wanted to hire Musgrave or Williams (god help them if they did but hypothetical) I'd be like "hurray I can't believe someone is taking this clown off our hands!" But with Zimmer it's always "no don't take him from us!" and "he's super respected by just about everyone, including his players!" kind of comments.

Conversely, what I hear from 49er fans about Roman is along the lines of "please DO take him from us!"

Fans are emotional, biased, and often uninformed or poorly informed to the inner workings and nuances of NFL success… and yet, this kind of thing influences me too. I guess I am also cognizant of the fact that attentive and dedicated fans DO have a solid common sense and know, in general, whether a guy is a stud or a dud.

[NextQuestion]

Roman with the potential of Tomsula as DC would be money.

[Mothman]

Fans are emotional, biased, and often uninformed or poorly informed to the inner workings and nuances of NFL success…

You nailed it with that statement.

... and yet, this kind of thing influences me too. I guess I am also cognizant of the fact that attentive and dedicated fans DO have a solid common sense and know, in general, whether a guy is a stud or a dud.

Some do anyway and since familiarity often breeds contempt, it is notable when a fan base is very positive about a coach and we are understandably influenced by it.

I find the "Zimmer fever" currently gripping Vikes fandom interesting. Zimmer's been a good NFL defensive coordinator but he's a coach who has never been on the winning end of a playoff game as a coordinator and he's never been a head coach at any level. The playoff record isn't all on him, of course, since wins and losses in those games are determined by team efforts. His defenses have held opponents to low point totals in some playoff losses.

Anyway, my point is that he seems like a real roll of the dice and a coach with the type of resumé many Vikings fans would typically criticize rather than embrace. I'm assuming it's his demeanor, as much as anything, that has made him so appealing to Vikings fans.

If he's the next Vikings head coach, I'll certainly be rooting for him to succeed!