It's Baalke, Not Tomsula, Who's Now on the Clock

News conference to introduce Tomsula as head coach makes it clear that Baalke will be shaping 49ers' future, for better or worse

To those who are paid to watch the 49ers for a living, the introduction of Jim Tomsula as the team’s new head coach Thursday was fascinating.

While Tomsula was the centerpiece of the 49ers news conference, many reporters, columnists and analysts viewed general manager Trent Baalke as the real story.

In four seasons with Jim Harbaugh as head coach of the team, there never was any doubt who was commanding the 49ers on the field. It was Harbaugh. There may have been battles behind the scenes between Harbaugh and Baalke – in fact, that’s certain because Harbaugh ruffled too many feathers and was shown the door – but the fact Harbaugh was calling the shots when it came to coaching was always clear.

Now, it looks like a different era with Tomsula.

As columnist Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group noted, it was Baalke – rather than Tomsula -- who made it very clear that the Niners will be focused on running the football. That spoke volumes, said Kawakami. “Tomsula’s philosophy is going to be whatever Baalke tells him it is,” he wrote.

That’s not to say Tomsula won’t put his stamp on this team, or that he won’t have input or that on game days, it’s going to be him on the sideline, talking to his coordinators and dictating plays and personnel. There's every reason to believe, too, that Tomsula's energy and enthusiasm could be infectious be just what the 49ers need.

But away from game time, Baalke is going to be the one in charge, with the blessing of CEO Jed York.

Matt Barrows, who covers the 49ers for the Sacramento Bee, wrote that the news conference made it clear that it’s Baalke, not Tomsula, who will be ripe for judgment in 2015 if this 49ers shakeup doesn’t work.

Because in helping push Harbaugh out the door, Baalke has also picked Tomsula and allowed many of the talented defensive assistants on the staff – such as Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell – to leave. So the staff assembled by Tomsula is going to be almost entirely different than the one that helped Harbaugh achieve such great success.

Plus, while many head coaches essentially have the power to assemble their own staff of assistants, it’s clear from the news conference that Baalke will be very much involved in – and perhaps in control of – the process.

Said Baalke, when asked if Tomsula would have the authority to assemble his own staff:

“The one thing I’m confident of is we’re going to do this together. We’re going to do it together from day one on.”

Obviously, Baalke now has what he wanted, which is much more control of this team, its roster and its coaching staff.

Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing won’t be determined for a couple of years.

But for now, it’s Baalke’s show. And 49ers fans are hoping he’s been making the right decisions.

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