"I wish in so many ways that I hadn't liked the people so much," Linehan said in a phone interview. "I really think the franchise is going in the right direction."
Linehan, the former Rams coach, was a successful offensive coordinator with the Vikings and Dolphins. He said he wants to remain in coaching, but he said he was not ready to make a decision about joining the 49ers. He did not want to hold up the organization, he said.
"I had two great visits with the organization and with coach (Mike) Singletary," Linehan said. "The timing is such a crucial thing for me. I was unable to make a commitment at this point, and I felt like I could not do that to him (Singletary).
"It was basically a really tough phone call to make. There is not a better guy in the business than Mike Singletary."
Linehan said his reasons for declining the job offer were "all personal." Linehan and his wife, Kristen, have three young boys, the oldest of whom will be entering high school. The family has never lived in the same place for more than three years since Linehan broke into coaching in 1989.
"When I was 25, these decisions were made and I'd grab my luggage and go," he said. "Now, at 45, with three kids, trying to figure out the right thing is different. It was a lot easier when I was 25 - it was not so complicated."
Linehan said everything about the 49ers, from a professional standpoint, seemed right for him. He mentioned the background he has with quarterbacks Shaun Hill and Alex Smith. He said he is conflicted as he tries to figure out the next move, and he did not think it was fair to let the process drag on any further. Linehan said Singletary did not pressure him into making a fast decision.
I asked Linehan why he went through two interviews if he was not fully committed to joining the 49ers' staff.
"I hadn't been offered the job until the end of the process," Linehan said. "Being interviewed is a two-way street, so we were looking at each other. Everything from a professional side was a really good fit for me.
"Maybe it's because of where I was the last three seasons (head coach of the Rams) . . . It doesn't mean that a week from now I won't be kicking myself. But it's just not fair to the 49ers to hold up the process."
Linehan said he will probably attend the Senior Bowl in
"I don't know where this is going to go," he said. "This was really an excruciating decision for me."
* * *
The short version. Wants to coach in the NFL but not for the 49ers.
MATT.why would somebody interniew for a job twice,and then turn it down.I know he had to talk to his family about it but wouldn't it make sense to talk to youre family first before interviewing for a job.
It's not so much about the Niners as it is location. He obviously doesn't want to uproot his family again. Not to hard to understand really...
I can understand the personal reasons, but if one of them is, he doesn`t want to relocate, then why interview for any coaching position which will have you relocate anyway. I think it`s a hold out for a better offer. I don`t feel good about the last two candidates either. Better to wait till after the playoffs.
I guess we know now who wears the pants in Linehan family!!!. Linehan is not a man. He is a straight wessal. Coach Sing needs to get a coach who wants to be a 49ers, knows the history of the 49ers, and knows what being a 49ers is all about which is class. For exmaple, Tom Rathman, he is first class right there. Which tells me Linehan is not. With that being said. Matt what are the contract status of 2 Walsh diciples Terry Shea, and Paul Hackett? I know Hackett is under contract with the Raiders but is just a scout for them, and is Terry Shea under contract with anyone. Do you see the 49ers look at these coaches, and request an interview?
Not hard to understand Linehan's decision at all. What's hard to understand is why the head coach for the 49ers would fire his coordinator without somebody else in his back pocket! Good start to the new regime..
I hope Singletary and Scott MC have a plan B or they will look stupid. The pool of good candidates is getting lower since many teams are going to coaching changes. Looking at Arizona dominating the Eagles in 1st half, I am worring that I won't see the 49ers in playoff for a long time. Singletary should learn how the Cardinals destroys the Egles with PASSING attack. How can we stop Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald without our mediorce pass rushers and secondary? Even Asante Samuel can't cover them.
niners getting turned down by 2-14 coaches for coordinators positions and the cardinals probably going to and probably winning the super bowl.. 2009 is going to be god awful
Hi Matt, Why bother coming for a second interview if you don't accept the job? Some other situation could've developed, we'll find out soon enough. Julius Peppers would put the D over the top. He's defintely worth a first round pick if the Panthers elect to sign and trade.
i understand. if uprooting his family wasn't accepted by his whole family, then he must take that into account. he's still making a ton of money from the rams, so there's not that financial aspect. i totally am ok with this decision. good luck to him
Matt, Does this feel like Hostler all over again? Will they continue to interview or "settle" for Chud? What is the news with Jermey Bates? If Sing does not get this right, will he be one and done?
If uprooting his family is a problem, then he'll never get another job in the NFL again because he's not going to get resigned by the rams again and as far as I know there aren't any teams near STL within reasonable traveling distance so this is a load of bullox. I am rather glad that he ended up turning down the offer though, and to be frank I'm just shocked coach singletary would put up with a guy that stinks so much of losing like linehan. I don't care what his resume says he's done, the way he's destroyed the rams with all their talented players is inexcusable, very nolanesque.
Matt,
What about Jon Gruden? Do you think the 49ers will talk to him down in Mobile, AL?
You're right. The sky is falling. Right on top of you and all the other hand-wringing Chicken Little's in here.
Schoolboys have such a difficult time understanding the real world. Poor, poor babies.
Either he is not going to coach in 2009, or he knows something about KC's coaching situation that we don't.
Those are the 2 ways that the family doesn't get uprooted.
Here are a few random questions to ponder during half time of that endangered species of Niner-land ----- a playoff game ---
1. Who made the decision to prematurely announce the offer to Linehan ?
2. For how many years and what dollars does Linehan now get paid by the Rams for sitting on his indecisive posterior in St. Louis ?
3. Does Chud or Christensen or whoever get a signing bonus for (a) making a decision in less than 48 hours, and (b) being publicly humiliated by being 2nd choice ?
4. Can we kidnap Todd Haley ?
Matt, do you think that maybe Singletary and the Niners brass are requiring a multi-year commitment without an option to leave in an attempt to stop the short term fixes on offense? Linehan seemed like such a good fit but I could see him getting another chance to run a team if he proved successful as an OC again, especially since he is only 45. Maybe the Niners will luck out and Norv Turner will get fired by the Bolts.
As part of the interview process, maybe the 49ers should check the applicant's shorts to make sure that he has a pair of cojones there.
Thanks for waisting our time Linehan and I hope Kansas City plays you for a fool just like you did with us!
He doesn't want to be OC under Singletary because Singletary is a grandstanding self promoter who will thrown Linehan under the bus, just like he did to Martz under many occasions.
So...lets recap the offseason so far...we have hired Vance Singletary.
Shanahan, Gruden, MANY accomplished coaches on the market...and our coach is hiring his cousin in a clear sign of nepotism..
This is great! Yay.
Eventhough Linehan (the wessal) turned the niners down, there is still alot of candidates available. Couple of guys that are still available the Niners could look at is Pat Shurur QB coach for the Eagles (looks like we be available soon after today), there is Gil Haskell (he is available with Knapp taking over as OC in Seattle), Bill Musgrave (Falcons QB coach and Former Niners QB). Before we think the sky is falling there still candidates still available.
If he didn't want to be a part of something special the let's move on. His lost is another person's gain. That just means our plan of getting back to where we belong falls on someone who will be around for more than two years. We need to forget about these big names and get someone with the same passion for this team as Mike Singletary. A teacher in the art of offense. And for people who keep crying about Martz there were no promises he would have stay. Just last year yah was crying about hiring him. We just need to relax we have a solid coach give him a chance.
HAHAHAHAHAHAH, Exactly! Took the words right out of my mouth!
Some of you people prove your ignorance for life. A 45-year old man has three children and one ready to enter high school. You have no idea what that kind of continuity means to a child. But you sure know what it's like to act like one.
And it's WEASEL.
And it's VANTZ Singletary.
And for the record, I'm with HollywoodMark23.
And clearly, hibcbcbc is not paying any attention.
The cheeky SOB used us for leverage...the cheeky SOB. I smelled a rat. "Mulling" my foot. He's looking to gain all the attention he can in hope of another HC gig this year. Well, I'll laugh when you don't Scott...and when we win. If you're not willing to bleed red AND gold, get lost. That's Coaches strong suit, his passion. It's still too early to panic about another '07...but I'm worried. We only have a very small window to hire the right guy.
Please. You whiners are hilarious! You aren't Darren are you?
Hey, Indiana Jim, sorry for misspelling Vantz's name. I wasn't exactly following the moves of Buffalo University's defensive assistants, so please accept my apology.
Singletary was a mistake. He didn't beat a single good team in his interim run this year. He does not know X's and O's, and will always be only as good as his coordinators. Not a good situation to be in. And, yes, Singletary is indeed a tremendous self promoter and most assistants (you've never coached before--I have) don't really like that too much.
In short -- you're an idiot.
Thanks
Jerry: Great post. Just when I was confident enough to start commenting on how professional the organization were beginning to look and act, we get another train wreck of a fiasco. I wonder who laughed most at this latest debacle, Mike Martz, Mike Nolan or Al Davis?
Yeah, firing Martz was a really great idea.
"If you're looking to bleed red and gold..."??
Jesus man...Singletary bleeds black and white (Bears) more than Red and Gold, so how can you blame prospective assistants for not doing it?
BTW: I, for one, prefer the 89/90 Niners to the 85 Bears. Guess which one Singletary wants to replicate...yeah...85 Bears.
3 yards and a cloud of dust!!!
Yeah, keep telling yourself Singletary is not a good coach... I'd also say Washington, Buffalo and NY were pretty good teams when we beat them.
You do know a HC is supposed to lead, right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYSzuYh-eLA
Matt, this guy is an idiot, why waist everybody's time and travel money and etc. I hate people use their family for an excuse, he is probably making more money from the rams then 49ers offered. Where was his wife and young three kids when he came out for not one but two interviews. Sorry for venting.
Hi Matt. I really appreciate your blog... great source for europeans to get inside niners info...
This situatin is a really bad one... I really believed that SL would be a great pick: good trackrecord, bad HC, probably same philosophy as Sing... It's unfortunate that e turned that offer down...
Now my questions: Do you think that Sing and Scot have a real Plan B in hand? Could it still be CHudzinski? Do you think Chudzinski would accept an offer now that he know he is "only" number 2?
They could call Jim Hostler to fill the role, until they figure it out.
We don't need Linehan. Like Sing said, "cannot win with him, cannot coach with him, can't do it. I want winners!" Linehan and his losing ways can take a hike, "we are not a charity!" Sing is the real deal, he's going to find an OC with passion, big name or not the new OC will be a winner!
hibcbcbc: My comment was a tongue-in-cheek reference to what Coach has been preaching, but don't worry, I forgive your misunderstanding.
Not knocking Coach, but scrambling around interviewing all these coaches, is probably what happens when you have a young GM and a HC who was out of the game for so many years. A lack of a pipeline of inside info and relationships. Whis is a great example of being in the game. When he made HC, he knew who he wanted to fill his key roles and he got them. Coach did sign Woody, and quickly, so that's a positive.
Hostler? You must have forgotten, Nolan is not here anymore.
To say Coach is winging it right now would be harsh and an unintentional sleight. It does seem, however, that there was no prior plan, no blueprint for success. As a HC you are expected to take care of all facets of a team, so it's a worry that a) he was turned down, and b) there were all the interviews in the first place. I just feel that if he had been in the game all those years he would have had it all thought out in advance, and people in place to bring in. I mentioned Whisenhunt previously, and he's a great example. Someone who knew what he wanted AND who he wanted, and had it all lined up ready. As I said, I'm not knocking Coach, as last year he showed he could get a poor Mike Nolan team performing to near playoff level standards. (My idea of "near" might differ from most.) With a good draft, 2 or 3 FA's and a whole off-season of positive attitude setting, I'm sure we will be challenging for postseason play, next year. Just as long as we find an NFL level OC...
I forgot how slow you are.....it's sarcasm!
And let's get one thing staright: Singletary is an obvious improvement over Nolan but he did NOT beat any good teams. Buffalo was in self-destruct mode and Washington didn't have anything to play for. As for the Jets, well they lost to the RAIDERS.
Give me a break Linehan! I think someone nailed the reason...Linehan set us up to gain more exposure for a possible Head Coaching gig. It's not unheard of and he would be a guy who needs every bit of positive PR to overcome his disastrous Rams-HC job. It was said that he really alienated many of the Rams players and this decision probably reflects on his style. I'm glad we don't have him because of this section from one of Matt's previous articles:
..."Linehan began his head-coaching tenure with the Rams as the play-caller. But after a fifth consecutive loss in 2006, a 15-0 defeat at Carolina, Linehan stripped himself of the play-calling duties and handed over that responsibility to QBs coach Greg Olson.
The Rams got hot when Linehan backed away from calling the plays. They won four of their final six games to finish 8-8. Marc Bulger had the best year of his career, and Steven Jackson rushed for 1,548 yards. Linehan (or at least his offense) made those two men rich - even if they became less-than thrilled with his coaching.
Linehan reclaimed the play-calling duties in 2007 after three games. The Rams lost their first eight games, and finished with four consecutive defeats. Again, his play-calling became an issue. He hired offensive coordinator Al Saunders, who called plays last season. Of course, Linehan lasted only four games before getting fired."
Does this sound like the type of winner we would want??? Matt's article makes it sound like Linehan lost his ability to be an effective play-caller back in 2006, so how could that translate to being an effective signal-caller for us???
The real shame of this is that I think Dennison had real potential. Chudzinski needs to have his record scrutinized VERY carefully to separate his ability versus the Browns lack of offense in general (because a lot could probably be laid at the players feet).
Have no fear fans, because there are lots of other good coordinator-candidates out there. My gut feeling is that Musgrave could be the guy to now look at seriously. I like the hirings of Coach Harris and Rathman.
What a sigh of relief-this guy is who i thought he was-a flake! Jon Gruden must be brought in tonight and not allowed to leave until the dotted line is johnny hancocked.
The sarcasm was obvious. Your comment was void of thought as usual. No surprise though ;-)
Gruden ain't gonna work for Singletary. Sorry. In a perfect world Gruden is our HC and Singletary is coaching our linebackers, which is where his expertise is.
All you guys are taking this way too personally and sounding extremely petty. Whatever the reason is, its not the right fit. He had the right to interview 2 times to get a feel for us as much as we did him.. Lets move on to another good candidate that want to work for us.
The only thing I take personally is the fact, and reality, that the Niners rushed to hire Singletary.
They made a bad move.
What I have seen is that Mike S. wants to:
--Replicate the '85 Bears
--Doesn't feel the passing game is a necessity in todays NFL
--And is apparently not a real draw for game ready offensive coordinators
There really aren't too many good options out there for OC.
Great ones for HC though.
"Doesn't feel the passing game is a necessity in todays NFL" where did you pull that one out of? Singletary has never said that.. Did we not throw the ball at all the last 8 games? Just because he wants a more powerful running game, to use our best player, doesnt mean we arent going to throw the ball. None of the statements youve made are based in any reality or fact..
Seriously guy, what are you whining about? You want a retread in place of Singletary? There would have been a revolt had the Niners' brass let him go.
Watch this video and tell me we should have gotten rid of him. Give me a break.
Hey Randy – great vid. Thanks for sharing. I guess someone from the Niner PR dept happened to be hiding in a locker to capture the Niner milestone.
Any clue who the dude was with the black shirt and dreads standing next to Sing at the end of the vid? Was it a relative, or a player on IR? Seemed like Sing owed all of his thanks to him.
Linehan is pathetic! Im supposed to feel sorry for this guy when he dicked us around all weekend only to turn us down! No! We dont need somebody who cant make up his mind anyway. I only wish that we would have interviewed more prospects. Maybe now more interviews will take place. I am not really sold on Chud,but well see what happens.
That's his son.
I also liked how he gave Willis a thankful hug. I know I can't wait to see him and the team next year.
thats his son.
It may be a blessing in disguise that Linehan declined. Now Sing can look at coaches from the eagles or Ravens staff. Also Tampa just released some coaches.
Not that surprised...Linehan obviously was torn...between his family and the job. It's easy for anyone to say he should've done this or that, but none of us are in his situation. It's not the end of the world, folks...far from it. Coach and McCloughan are at the Senior Bowl...which is a smorgasbord of coaches. Have a little faith...after all, you claim to be "Niner Faithful", don't you?
Linehan should have never interviewed for the job if he didn't want to re-locate. What was he doing visiting twice?!? Such a let down.
With that being said, I don't think people should be so quick to think this team can't turn things around just because Linehan didn't want to sign. No one else who has interviewed with the 49ers besides that Denver guy has even signed anywhere. I believe they'll find the right guy.
And just to touch on a comment on Arizona. I expected Philly to go in and lose that game. Their D isn't what it used to be, neither is their Offense. They had NY's number. If New York would have won, it would be a different story.
SF showed they have a better team than Philly earlier in the season, they just couldn't close. Same with Arizona.
To think that SF is going to be even close to what the were with Jeff at OC is just ridiculous.
However we want to parse it, when you get turned down for a date it is humiliating. Especially when the girl you asked out just got dumped.
Sounds to me that it's his nice way of saying , thanks but no thanks! Who could blame him? York's + Inexperienced Singletary = LOSER!
That's what he saw!
No, Terry. That's what YOU see. That's what you always see. What you WANT to see. It's not what Rathman saw, is it? What thrill do you get from these kind of inane posts?
JUST A THOUGHT
Here's what I think the Linehan interviews went. In the first meeting, Linehan came in and talked to Jed the wizard about where Jed thinks the team should be headed.
Completely confused, he headed down the hall and went in to talk to Singletary. He realized the HC's inexperience, especially when hearing the HC tell him that OC's are expected to pull their pants down when displeased and show their butt. In addition, they are expected to throw players off the field and into the locker room. That will bring the National attendence from the media the team will need when it struggles.
Now, Linehan, dibelieving what his ears have just heard, comes back for another interview. He hears the same things and even some other peculiar aspects of his job. This includes watching old Chicago Bear films of the offense that Singletary demands to be used.
When finished Linehan takes the first plane out of town in a cold sweat. He lands at the airport, gets in the car with his wife and kids and tells them, "How about if I find a High School to coach. The NFL is beyond repair!"
Man! What are you commenting on? Coaches use GOOD TEAMS for leverage to get what they want! Not a team that doesn't know where it's headed! The 49ers are one of the teams trying to grab anyone they can! Like the Browns and Lions! Have you watched any games in the Yorks years?
The 49ers at this time have a poorly run front office and an inexperienced HC! Plus the way Martz was treated, and 7 OC's in 7 years! Add to that Singletary's treatment of blaming coaches directly when their area fails and says "we" when he fails!
Come on!? Sometimes we 49er fans see the team with rose colored glasses. But someone with a family, and the drive to build his credentials back up, can't afford to throw the dice.
I have a better headline for you Matt:
Unemployed genius likes welfare checks