Baalke hired as 49ers GM

[elcheato]

SANTA CLARA -- Trent Baalke was hired Tuesday evening as 49ers general manager after holding the duties associated with that position for the past nine months, an NFL source confirmed to Comcast SportsNet.

Baalke was promoted to general manager after serving this past season as vice president of player personnel. He oversaw the 49ers' draft in April after former general manager Scot McCloughan's abrupt departure five weeks earlier.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the news.

Baalke was named to the position of general manager after team president Jed York narrowed his choices to Baalke and former Raiders personnel man Mike Lombardi, who met with York earlier in the day.

Now, the 49ers are pursuing Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh to fill the team's head-coaching vacancy, sources told Comcast SportsNet.

Baalke conducted exit interviews Monday with 49ers players. On Tuesday, he met individually with the 49ers' assistant coaches. The assistant coaches are "off" until the new coach is hired. Some of the team's assistants are likely to be granted interviews to remain on the new staff.

The 49ers feel they must move quickly, as they target Harbaugh, the hottest coaching candidate on the landscape. Stanford concluded its 12-1 season Monday night with a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

The Raiders have given the 49ers permission to interview offensive coordinator Hue Jackson for the head-coaching job, CSN Bay Area's Paul Gutierrez reports. And the 49ers have also asked to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The 49ers fired Mike Singletary as head coach on Dec. 26.

Interviews with Jackson and/or Fewell would meet the "Rooney Rule" requirement that all teams must interview at least one minority candidate before filling the position.

Team president Jed York said last week the general manager would hire the next head coach of the 49ers. Now, the 49ers have their general manager. And the team would like to have a new head coach in place by the end of the week, sources said.

Baalke's first order of business will be the secure the head coach -- all all signs point to Harbaugh being at the top of the wish list. A league source told CSN that the 49ers are willing to give Harbaugh "significant" power over personnel decisions.

Baalke has spent six seasons with the 49ers and 13 years in the NFL. After taking over as the 49ers' top personnel man, he ran the draft that brought offensive linemen Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati to the team with first-round draft picks.

Baalke engineered the April trade of a fifth-round draft pick for receiver Ted Ginn. The 49ers also signed free agents: running back Brian Westbrook, outside linebacker Travis LaBoy and quarterback Troy Smith last season.

While serving as 49ers director of player personnel in 2008 and '09, Baalke oversaw the professional and college scouting departments under McCloughan.

He was promoted after spending three seasons with the 49ers as a West region scout. Prior to coming to the 49ers, Baalke spent four years with the Washington Redskins' scouting department. He served as college scouting coordinator in his final year with the Redskins.

Baalke was athletic director at Shanley High in Fargo, N.D., when he broke into the NFL.

"I never even contemplated getting into the NFL on the personnel side," Baalke said in April. "I was a college coach in the Dakotas and got out of coaching to pursue some other goals back in the mid-'90s."

Baalke's first NFL job came with the New York Jets. He worked under long-time NFL scout Dick Haley, father of Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley. He spent three seasons (1998-2000) with the Jets, giving him an opportunity to observe and learn from Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick.

Baalke built contacts in the NFL when he worked from 1990 to '95 at South Dakota State as defensive line/strength and conditioning coach.

"When I was a college coach, I was the liaison that dealt with the scouts when they came in to visit the university to talk with the players," Baalke said. "So I got to know a lot of the scouts at that point in time."

While at South Dakota State, Baalke met McCloughan, then a scout with the Green Bay Packers. Baalke gave offensive lineman Adam Timmerman a strong endorsement. The Packers selected Timmerman in the seventh round. He went on to play in two Pro Bowls, as well as start in four Super Bowls with the Packers and St. Louis Rams.

harbough is likely to end up in San fran as well

 

[playmaker7]

Lets see how he starts off his regime.

I hope Harbaugh decides to go to SF

 

[DJT]

Harbough would be a real good fit I think.

 

[WHO-DEY-BENGALS_18]

If that happens, the 49ers are going to be a contender once again, it will take a little time, though.