Jeff Garcia believes he is ready to be the next head coach of the 49ers.
"Let's be honest with each other. As much as I believe and feel that I am capable of leading a team, people don't want you to be able to take the shortcut," Garcia said on KNBR 1050 on Wednesday morning. "They want you to go through the process -- they want you to start as the assistant, they want you to work your way up to the coordinator, they want you to work your way into that head coach position.
"I tell you what -- the 17 years of professional football experience that I have in my backpocket, and the years of growing up around a father who was a head coach and just being around the game -- have prepared me to be the leader of a football team. And that's what this team needs -- they need a leader of the football team."
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From 1999 to 2003, Garcia appeared in 74 games (71 starts) for the 49ers.
He led the Red and Gold to the playoffs in 2001 and 2002 and made the Pro Bowl three straight years (2000-2002).
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"They need somebody who is gonna come in and is not gonna take any trash; not gonna take any instability as far as the personality is concerned, and understand that this has to be about the team," Garcia said. "It can't be about your individual success, it can't be about your individual contract; it's gotta be about the team.
"Yes, there is a business side to professional sports. Fortunately, that's something for the GM and his people to handle. I'm about the football side and I'm about the team concept, and I'm about doing whatever is best for this team -- from the scheme that we run, to the players that are gonna run it, to the coaches that I have on the staff.
"And everybody needs to buy in to that culture, and everybody needs to get on the same page, and everybody needs to work their tail off and grind, and inspire, and motivate, and encourage and go out and battle every single day -- not just on Sundays -- every single day in practice. We're creating a culture where you're gonna compete, and the best players that give us a chance to win are gonna be the guys on the field."
Garcia was a coach in the CFL in 2014 and an offensive assistant with the Rams in 2015.
