Newly-minted San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke were introduced to the media this afternoon. Although there was a lot of excitement about Harbaugh being introduced and the way he conducted himself during his repartee with the reporters in attendance, only some useful information was transmitted during the interview.
- Harbaugh will return the Niners offense to the West Coast Offense, the style of play that Bill Walsh brought to the team and helped bring them five Super Bowl rings.
- Baalke will have the final say on the 53 man roster, not Harbaugh.
- Harbaugh, on what he looks for in a quarterback: "Athletic instincts, accuracy, timing, decision making, leadership, intelligence, and you could keep going on and on here, and they’re all important. They’re important like to a carpenter, the hammer, the saw, the nails, the ruler – you need ‘em all. So we’re trying to find those men and develop those characteristics and those abilities."
- Matt Maiocco, the NFL Insider for Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, later reported in secondary interviews with Harbaugh that the head coach would conduct meetings with the current staff to make decisions
- Maiocco also reported that Harbaugh might call some of the plays, but not all of them. Expect an offensive coordinator to be hired.
You can see the entirety of the press conference below. Jed York introducing the new general manager and new head coach, and prepared statements by Baalke and Harbaugh.
First part of the Q&A with Baalke and Harbaugh.
Loading comments...