NFL: San Francisco 49ers sign Jim Harbaugh
John Elway and the Denver Broncos will have to find someone else to coach their team.
That is because Jim Harbaugh of Stanford University has agreed to join the San Francisco 49ers team as head coach by signing a five-year, $25 million contract. That is $5 million per season making him the highest paid coach in the National Football League.
Harbaugh took over the coaching job in the Bay Area 30 years after his mentor Bill Walsh did. Yes, that’s
the Bill Walsh. The one who mentored Mike Holmgren who mentored Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid who mentored Dallas Cowboys head coach Brad Childress. That’s not all in Walsh’s coaching tree. He also mentored Washington Redskins Mike Shanahan
who mentored Gary Kubiak. Other names such as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio and the youngest head coach in NFL history Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin are also in Walsh’s résumé.
So obviously, Harbaugh comes from a great mentor who mentored some great coaches. But back to Harbaugh.
He calls it a “perfect competitive opportunity” and accepted the job on Friday to win a Lombardi Trophy for “one of the legendary franchises in all of football.”
The Stanford Cardinals head coach gets to come back to his home in the Bay Area after spending four years in Palo Alto. The former NFL quarterback replaces Mike Singletary, who was fired after a rather poor stint with the Niners.
"I can feel the enthusiasm coursing through my veins right now," said Harbaugh. "I accept this competitive challenge willingly.”
The Niners went all out to publicly introduce him. The extravagant Palace Hotel was booked complete with a red carpet and limousine. The news conference started with a music video that featured highlights of the team.
Harbaugh has had a great season with the Stanford Cardinals. After winning the Orange Bowl on Sunday over Virginia Tech 40-12, they ended the season 12-1, a season-best in the entire college league.
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