Should the 49ers go offensive or defensive minded for their next coach

     The 49ers had a disappointing 2015-2016 season. It ended in a pretty quick firing of head coach Jim Tomsula. Tomsula was only the coach for one season, and it was a massive failure. Now, the 49ers are in the same situation they were a year ago, looking for a coach that fits. The difference this time though is that GM Trent Baalke knows he's at the end of his rope. He must choose the next coach wisely or else he's out. That's not a secret at this point. It's also no secret that Baalke messed up last offseason by hiring Tomsula over guys like Gase, Marrone, Fangio, and others. He can't afford to do the same. Finding the right guy is a difficult thing to do. Names look good on paper, but it's deeper than that. One thing that is considered is whether they want an offensive-minded or a defensive-minded coach. Let's start by looking at the options for each. 

Offensive coaching candidates: Sean Payton, Chip Kelly, Hue Jackson, Adam Gase, Doug Marrone, Rob Chudzinski. 

     Payton, Kelly, and Jackson have been linked to 49ers at this point. Marrone and Gase interviewed last year while Chudzinski would've interviewed for 49ers offensive coordinator job, but Colts declined permission. 

     Payton and Kelly are obviously the most attractive candidates on this list but not the best, in my opinion. Gase is obviously sought after, but I don't think he likes the 49ers management after the flop last year. So, I doubt he wants to do that. I always thought that Doug Marrone was underrated. He is an offensive line guru which in turn helps the QB out a ton. I thought the Bills made a mistake in firing him. The other option that stands out is Hue Jackson. Like Marrone, I believe he got wrongly fired when he was the coach of the Raiders. I also like what he's done with the Bengals offense. 

     Now, we go to the defensive side. There isn't much out there. The potential coaches are thin if teams are looking for defensive ones. 

Defensive coaching candidates: Teryl Austin, Wade Phillips, David Shaw, Eric Mangini

     As I said, not much. Even Wade Phillips isn't an option because he's going to stay in Denver as the DC. I thought I'd include him anyway. The 49ers interviewed Teryl Austin last year, and they may look that way again. Teryl Austin is the prime defensive candidate out there. Jed York said that they weren't going in-house for their coach. That pretty much takes Eric Mangini out of the hunt. The last case is David Shaw. 49ers were able to pry Jim Harbaugh from Stanford. David Shaw then took obey there and hasn't looked back ever since. He also sounds like he's committed to Stanford, for the time being. If he was to jump to the NFL, he'd have a lot of suitors for sure. However, that won't happen this year. 

     Based on the candidates and the state of the 49ers, an offensive coach might be the better option. They would prefer a smart coach that can help the QB out. If they get a QB whisperer, they'll keep Kaepernick. Gase and Marrone are two names that come to mind. However, Kaepernick seems like the perfect QB for a Chip Kelly system. There's also Hue Jackson, who has done a great job working with Dalton. Hue Jackson is very smart, too. He seems like a fit that makes a lot of sense when you think about it. 

     I'm not sure who the 49ers will hire. I just hope they hire someone that can make a difference. Jim Tomsula wasn't ever going to be that guy, and it became obvious pretty quickly. 49ers are definitely going to try their hardest to bring in the right guy.