Here are some highlights from the call:
--"It's good to be back," Rathman declared.
--Rathman said he is excited to work for coach Mike Singletary because they share the same philosophy.
"He wants to be a smash-mouth football team, a tough physical football team," Rathman said. "That's what I want my group to do -- be the toughest guys on the football field. His approach to the game is similar to my approach to the game."
--"He (Singletary) pulled out three or four different charts and 80 percent of the words on those charts are words I emphasize," Rathman said.
--He said the 49ers are trying to get back to the winning ways of the 49ers tradition, and he hopes he can bring some of that back with him.
--Remember that frozen NFC Championship game against the Bears? (I know, stupid question.) Rathman said one encounter with Singletary stands out. On the 49ers' first touchdown, a scoring pass to Jerry Rice, Singletary blitzed up the middle. Rathman made an adjustment to pick up the blitz, giving Joe Montana the time to find Rice.
--Rathman has never coached in the digit system. He has only coached in the "West Coast" verbiage. But he said that does not matter. "It's still football," he said. "I don't care what scheme you run. If you don't coach it well and don't execute it, you're not going to have success. The bottom line is getting players coached up."
--Rathman said he is looking forward to working with Frank Gore. He said he has been fortunate enough to coach a lot of talented backs, and he expects Gore to work and prepare like all the others he has coached. "He's a talent, no question about it," Rathman said.
--The 49ers finished the season without a true fullback. That fact was pointed out, but Rathman cut off the question midway through . . . "No, I'm not coming back," he quipped.
He said he really hasn't looked at the personnel on the 49ers, other than Gore.
--Might Rathman be a coordinator-in-waiting? That was never discussed, Rathman said. He said his passion is coaching running backs. The subject of potential O.C. candidates was not broached.
--On his departure from the 49ers' coaching staff, he said, "They hire a head coach and he has the liberty to bring in his own guys. Dennis (Erickson) wanted to bring in his own people."
--On his experience with the Raiders, Rathman said it was "tremendous." He said he coached a group of running backs that was loaded with talent from top to bottom. He said, "The organization was fantastic to Tom Rathman." He said he was treated with "tons of respect," and the feeling was mutual.
--He declined to answer a question about whether he had a chance to join Jim Mora's staff with the Seahawks. "The simple fact is I'm a 49er, and I'm glad to be back in the organization," he said.
For those that don't know - Rob Chudzinski was Frank Gore's Offensive Coordinator in Miami. He is also a stud when it comes to tight end production.
Wow! I'm impressed already. I like the direction we are headed in. Looks like we are heading back towards the days of winning with class and being back on top once again :)
Matt,are the 49ers changing uniforms this year?isnt that what you reported last year?
Man, I'm stoked!! Can't get much more smash-mouth than Singletary and Rathman. These guys are two very intense coaches =)
Thanks for feeding my Niner addiction Matt!
Question: are the 49ers changing uniforms this year?
My response: That subject has been pushed far down on the list of priorities for the organization. --Matt M.
Believe it or not, Matt, that Bears-49ers NFC Championship Game you reference happened 20 years ago today. 49ers 28, Bears 3. One of the greatest 49er games of all time, on January 8, 1989.
Matt, do you know who their perspective QB coaches would be were they to join the scarlet and gold?
Remind me: did the Niners in that game beat the smash mouth running style of the Bears with better real man, smash mouth running or did they beat them thru the air with girlie passing?
They played a very good, very tough Bears team in Chicago in miserable frozen conditions and outcoached them, outmuscled them, outRiced them. A classic case of imposition of will.
Game like that, a Martz offence would have set a new world record for turnovers and hospitalized Q'backs.
But not to worry, he'll turn up somewhere and you can go root, root, root your toot for whoever, wherever it is.
You'll be missed 'round these parts though - always good for a laugh.
I think it was Chicago Dlineman Dan Hampton who remarked after that game, "They kicked our butts from the get-go."
Both. We had 138 yards rushing that day. And 288 yards passing. But mostly we won because our defense beat the crap out of the Bears. Chicago had few drives of consequence all day. Anytime you hold a team to 3 points in the playoffs, your defense had a good day.
"The simple fact is I'm a 49er, and I'm glad to be back in the organization,"
It'll be nice to see Rathman back on the sidelines. I'd be cool with the Niners averaging about 150 yards a game on the ground next year.
I watched the game. Montana to Rice won it. I think Rice got 3 TD's. The Bears only had a running game so the Niners just focused on shutting that down knowing the Bears passing attack couldn't beat them. Unfortunately if coach Singletary is to be believed he'd like the 2009 Niners to be more like the beaten Bears. Hopefully he hires an OC that will tell him those days are long gone. Today's NFL requires a sophisticated passing attack along with a good running game to be successful. Balance in other words. And as back then, the smarter coach will always have the edge.
Mike in SF #2 - that sounds awesome about Chudzinski, hope he's on the list. Not using VD ANYWHERE NEAR enough was the toughest thing to swallow for me about Martz who I thought did a great job BTW. Martz's creativity esp in the passing game, pre-snap shifting to cause confusion, & knowing to go after mismatches/making in-game adjustments was enjoyable to watch once he went to the more ball control WCO style. But one other thing though I didn't like at all about MM's Offense was the inability to call audibles. I think that's important to have...put the QB in charge. Lets also hope the new OC is a big upgrade in the clock management dept. I'm sure Coach Sing will learn to be better in time but it wouldn't hurt to have an experienced OC lead the way.
"The simple fact is I'm a 49er, and I'm glad to be back in the organization." Welcome back, Tom! Coach Singletary is working his magic; the organization has once again become a place where winners want to be. I can't wait to see next year's team on the field, imposing its will. We will be feared.
My computer crashed a couple days ago & I just turned on the new one I bought (loading all the old doc's, fav internet sites, settings etc >>> not fun at all)....I just noticed the previous topics by Matt, one about bringing in Linehan & Chudzinski. My bad. Too bad about Chudzinski. We want him to succeed yet that doesn't fare well for us in the continuity department. That's important & because of that we should pass. Who knows...he could have an impressive year next year & he gets offered a HC job & he would be gone fur us to start all over. That would have to be a record, an 8th OC?? NO THANKS, if there's an inkling that Chud wants to be a HC which he should I would cross him off the list ASAP.