As the San Francisco media hammered 49ers owner and CEO Jed York with questions about the decision to fire head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke, York stated one fundamental truth about the organization: You can’t fire the owner.
49ers’ Jed York won’t be fired because ‘you don’t dismiss owners’
The Niners parted ways with Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke, but York is sticking around.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
York was asked, given the repercussions of his decisions about the direction of the team over the past few seasons, why he shouldn’t be dismissed for his performance.
“I own this football team,” York said. “You don’t dismiss owners.”
The 49ers haven’t had a winning season since 2013. In 2014, then-coach Jim Harbaugh “mutually” parted ways with the Niners after going 8-8, and after a year under Jim Tomsula and one season under Chip Kelly, the 49ers will now look to hire their fourth head coach in four years.
York said the key will be finding someone who can build the “winning culture” the Niners are lacking.
”It’s very important we establish championship culture and the level we all expect and want for the San Francisco 49ers,” York said.
The 49ers have spoken with other members of the coaching staff to let them know they are free to interview for other jobs. York said that the new head coach and GM will make decisions on staff to retain.
There’s some uncertainty there, though, until the 49ers have the new leadership in place.
“We need to make sure we get it right,” York said. “I don’t expect it to happen tomorrow but when we find the right combination of people we’re going to make sure they get hired.”
For York, the key is going to be finding a general manager and head coach who can maintain a solid working relationship with each other.
“First and foremost it’s going to be a relationship between head coach and general manager,” York said. “The characteristics of a general manager need to be someone that can evaluate talent, create culture and communicate well.”
York is, however, the guy who stood at the very same podium about a year ago and said that Chip Kelly was “going to be here for a long time, period.”
The 49ers finished the 2016 season with a 2-14 record. After an abysmal season, San Francisco holds the second overall pick in the 2017 draft.
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