During Jim Harbaugh’s tenure as 49ers head coach, he led San Francisco to three consecutive NFC championship games in his first three seasons as head coach.
However, the organization also imploded dramatically in the seasons following Harbaugh’s controversial departure in 2014.
As part of SB Nation’s “Collapse” video series profiling historic demises in sports history, the 49ers from 2011 through 2016 were put under the microscope.
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After beating out a host of competitors, the 49ers were blessed with Harbaugh’s services following Mike Singletary’s firing in 2010.
Trent Baalke led a truly remarkable stretch of jaw-dropping roster decisions that became part of the fractured relationship between the general manager and Harbaugh.
Remember A.J. Jenkins? Or LaMichael James? Baalke’s ineptitude spiraled until he and his head coach could no longer compromise, and they agreed to “mutually part ways.”
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While nostalgia isn’t generating positive memories in this case, 49ers fans can rest much easier when thinking about the current state of the franchise.
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Jed York brought in John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan together, hoping to ensure that his coach and general manager would always be on the same page.
The team has secured a franchise quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo, although the signal-caller still has a lot to prove in what all fans are praying is his first full, 16-game season with San Francisco.
While things might have been turbulent in the first half of the 2010s for the 49ers, the franchise appears to be in very capable hands with the 2019 season just eight days away.