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When the Stars Line Up

From 2010 to 2011, Alex Smith gained one receiver, Braylon Edwards. The 49ers backfield gained rookie Kendall Hunter, and the defense acquired rookie linebacker Aldon Smith. There have been some other changes to the 49er roster, but can these fairly insignificant pickups really account for a 9-1 record in week 10, after going 6-10 last year and missing the playoffs in the lowly NFC West? The real change, although it is hard to prove, is coach Jim Harbaugh.

Initially, I will note, that other than play calling and technique, I find very little sympathy for people who argue that coaches really make a significant difference in the NFL. And I know that I'll get shit for saying that, but let it go for the time being. After all, one can hardly call Harbaugh a revolutionary college coach, after he basically one the lottery with Andrew Luck and Toby Gerhart leading the Cardinal offense. So for now, imagine Jim Harbaugh has not really accomplished anything.

So what makes him such a great coach? It's certainly not his transition from college to the NFL. If we look historically, the average successful college coach has very little success in the NFL. Nick Saban, the captain of the Roll Tide brigade, failed conclusively to coach another seafaring bunch during his stint with the Dolphins (2 Alabama National Championships, compared to a 15-17 overall record with the Dolphins).

And Saban certainly isn't the only unsuccessful college coach who tried their luck in the NFL. Bobby Petrino, Steve Spurrier, and Lou Holtz, lead a long list of NFL failures.

So obviously, Harbaugh's success cannot be accredited to his college accomplishments.


The next logical fact about Harbaugh to examine would be his relation to John Harbaugh, his brother, and the head coach of the Ravens. But once again, we find that NFL lineage, historically, does little for a coach's success.

For example, Monte Kiffin, the "father of the 'Tampa 2' defense", is widely considered one of the best defensive coordinators in NFL history, yet his son Lane went 5-15 in 1+ seasons as the head coach of the Raiders.

Or what about Kyle Shanahan, son of Mike Shanahan. While his father is an extremely glorified NFL coach, Kyle has bounced around as a coordinator despite being the youngest offensive coordinator ever.

Thus, it seems that Harbaugh's success really cannot be accredited to lineage or coaching history. But maybe, it's the combination of both that has resulted in his success. Somehow, the combination of previous coaching career and lineage to another NFL coach has resulted in a 9-1 record and a lead in the NFC West. It truly seems the stars have aligned for Harbaugh, and as much as it pains me to admit it (being an avid Raiders fan), the 49ers are a force to be reckoned with in the NFL this year.

And if you're still not convinced that I'm right about Harbaugh, maybe it's his tenacity and ferocity that have made him successful:
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