John Madden: Niners should choose Jim Harbaugh over ‘suit’ Trent Baalke
With Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers’ front office experiencing some tension as of late, some are wondering if Harbaugh’s days with the Niners could be numbered. The head coach is reportedly “barely speaking” to general manager Trent Baalke, and there has been some talk of the team potentially having to choose between the two.
If you ask John Madden, that choice would be easy.
“Jim Harbaugh has done a great job of coaching in the NFL no matter how you put it,” John Madden told the KCBS Radio morning crew earlier this week. “Getting to three championship games in a row with that group or with any group is a heck of a thing that he’s done. You tell me where they’re going to get a guy that’s any better than him? It’s a lot easier to get a suit than it is to get a coach.”
Personally, I agree with Madden. Baalke has a challenging job when it comes to assembling a team and operating within the constraints of the salary cap, but Harbaugh has had an instant impact since coming into the NFL. Finding a head coach who can win consistently is a very difficult task.
Harbaugh’s current contract with the Niners expires after the 2015 season. He probably would have had a new contract by now if not for bickering behind closed doors. The team would be wise to work it out and extend him, otherwise some other NFL team will be getting a rare commodity.
