Roman Not Popular In San Francisco
January 3rd, 2015
The San Francisco Chronicle hints Jim Harbaugh, right, was run from the 49ers because he wouldn’t can his offensive coordinator, Greg Roman.
To read the San Francisco newspapers and various 49ers blogs, offensive coordinator Greg Roman seems to be a modern version of Mike Shula, when he ran the Tampa Bay offense.
It seems, per Joe’s browsing, that the rift between 49ers front office types and recently bolted coach Jim Harbaugh was based on what management felt was ineptitude by Roman.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle documents a few items. All suggest Harbaugh was jettisoned because he wouldn’t fire Roman.
** Speaking of family … Baalke’s daughter, Cassie, said her father’s team wanted to fire Roman after the 49ers’ 19-3 loss to Seattle on Thanksgiving: “… The 49ers don’t want you no more,” she said, via Twitter. Do you think her father might have helped shape that opinion?
** Since Harbaugh’s departure, plenty have asked why the 49ers couldn’t make things work with such a successful coach. He had a pain-in-the-rear personality? Sure, but that hardly makes him unique among the NFL head coaches. The 49ers won, but didn’t do so with “class?” OK, but the responsibility for that ultimately falls on York.
However, if York demanded Harbaugh make changes to his staff and Harbaugh refused, well, that would qualify as a “philosophical difference” that wouldn’t be resolved (among others, no doubt). In the end, Harbaugh’s exit might have become official because he wouldn’t do what the 49ers – and many of their fans – wanted him to do: Fire Greg Roman.
Branch goes on to write that there is no way the 49ers would bring Roman back to the club as an offensive coordinator, despite the fact they still employ him.
Is Roman going to make folks forget Don Coryell? No. But look how pathetic, absolutely pathetic the Bucs offense is. It’s worse than the 49ers’.
And Roman had his hand in developing three NFL quarterbacks: Andrew Luck in college, bringing Alex Smith back from the dead, and turning a spread-option quarterback into a respectable signal-caller who guided the team to a Super Bowl.
Bucs coach Lovie Smith likes the run and that seems to be Roman’s specialty.
Did the 49ers’ offense slip this year? Yes. Still, the Bucs have better receivers than the 49ers. Michael Crabtree missed most of last year with an injury and this year he was inconsistent. Anquan Boldin is likely over the hill and Vernon Davis is a headcase.
The Bucs could do a whole lot worse than Roman. How does Mike Tice grab ya’?
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:07 am
Roman also is very familiar with Mike Iupati…FA/OG
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:17 am
Joe, I hope you’re constantly bashing Mike Tice because you want to ensure he’s not seriously considered for OC because I will be seriously depressed if he is seriously considered for OC. That hire would completely take the wind out of my sails. Hire him and you might as well use the first pick on Gurley. Yuk.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:21 am
Maybe the Bucs think his stock is down and are trying to secure him as O-line coach if he doesn’t receive a O-coordinator position.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:21 am
Joe, not really understand your logic. Comparing OC canidates against our situation might make everyone feel a little better I.e. At least we’re better than last year. But to me that’s not the point. Hopefully the bucs know which qb they want to draft. They should hire the OC that fits that qb best. I would argue if it’s your guy Winston Koetter, even though I don’t like him, is a better choice because of his work with Ryan. If it’s mariota, I prefer chudzinski. Roman is not on he top of my list no matter who they draft. Simply improving over last year is setting the bar way too low Imo
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:25 am
Clyde Christiansen. Mike Shula. Greg Roman. Mike Tice. Might as well run the wishbone.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:34 am
I read other teams sites all the time. Very few are satisfied with their hired help. In fact they sound a lot like us.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:35 am
Its amazing that when an organization is done with a coach or player that all of a sudden they were the problem. The media loves to trash someone when they are out the door. We have seen it here to many times in Tampa, someone leaves and we here story after story that it was the fired persons fault, yet all the problems still persist in the Bucs organization!
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:44 am
I wouldn’t want Greg Roman as Offensive Coordinator, sorry. Now, as offensive Line Coach? In a heartbeat.
I think JSmalls nailed it.
The Bucs have not fired their OL Coach, so interviewing candidates would have to be disguised as OC interviews. It makes sense.
Roman might have “had success” with those QBs, but consider his skill set when pointing that out. He has consistently had a bottom dweller offensive system, and he was an OL coach, not a QB coach.
I think his QB success was due more to his assistants than he himself.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:45 am
As to the “hey, as long as the offense is better than it was under Arroyo” point…that just isn’t good enough. If the goal isn’t to make it Top 10, then the goal needs to be changed.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:46 am
Pick up Orlando Franklin and bulaga and restructure/cut mankins. Also grab maclin and cut/trade Vincent Jackson. Continue line depth in draft and potential starter at right guard. Pick up a power back in draft, tevin Coleman or Cobb from Minnesota. All this with the idea of taking Winston/Mariota at #1
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:47 am
@Name Required
Each of those guys is a “name” guy. That’s how we keep making mistakes. Go with Dirk. He’s hte smart choice, even if he isn’t the popular one.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:52 am
What Bucnut2 said.
There is literally probably 100 offensive coordinators both in college and the pro game that could have done just as good or better than Arroyo. Are we trying to trade in a junk car with 200,000 miles for a junk car with 180,000?
Lovie is a retread and so im sure he will hire a retread, which is sad. Roman sucks, Panthers players all but ran Chudzinski out of Carolina, Koetter is a poor mans Roman. Of all the names floating out there Trestman is the least publicized so he’s probably the closest to being signed, which sounds alot better to me than the rest of this garbage thats trying to be shoved down our throats.
They built this team to look like what the Bears had and what worked well for them before they paid Cutler enough to not give a sh!t anymore. It makes too much sense.
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:55 am
Do the Bucs plan on interviewing Tice? If not, why do you keep bringing his name up Joe? I think the Bucs can do better than Roman. The Bucs have had an entire year to decide what kind of OC they want so the process should not be taking this long unless the OC is still on a playoff team.. Either NFL or college..
January 3rd, 2015 at 9:58 am
@Tampabaybucfan
Probably be a good idea to hire him as the Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach. Then hire someone like Rob Chudzinski as the New Offensive Coordinator.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:00 am
OC’s run the offense the way the HC wants it run, that’s the problem. Bucs need to hire a creative OC and let him (or her) run an offense without input from anyone, Trestman would be my first choice.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:22 am
Drafting Mariota could spell the end of VJax…..VJax a questionmark anyway…..I’d like to see him stay(restructured)….but….speed in space like Sims/Herron are great for Mariota.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:29 am
I think the bucs are just doing their due diligence in searching for an OC. if they get SF OC they are going mariota in the draft. this is based on colin kaepernick’s similarity to mariota. if they go with the Atlanta falcon’s OC I would think they are drafting jameis Winston. matt ryan is similar to jameis.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:36 am
@Joe, your logic that hiring Roman is better than what we have now is saying nothing. Like Roman, my 12 year old son ran a better offense on Madden than Marcus Arroyo did for the Bucs. So what? And then making the point that the Bucs could “do worse”. Why would we want the Bucs to hire somebody that we felt that way about? Your standards and expectations should be higher than that.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:40 am
LUVMYBUCS Says
“Probably be a good idea to hire him as the Asst. Head Coach…”
I think that role is being saved for Rod Marinelli so that they won’t have to fire Frazier.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:43 am
I actually was thinking this when Roman’s name came up. I am not overly impressed with Roman. Whether have Chudzinski, Mornhinweg or Koetter. Depending on the outcome in Oakland wouldn’t mind Sporano for OL & Olson as QB coach.
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:44 am
Tampabaybucfan Says
“Drafting Mariota could spell the end of VJax…..VJax a questionmark anyway…..I’d like to see him stay(restructured)….but….speed in space like Sims/Herron are great for Mariota.”
I think MAriota’s game consists more of shorter passes, doesn’t it? That would not rule out V-Jax. But you may be right about his ending in Tampa. Unless Mariota can learn quickly, it makes no sense to pay a lot of money to a WR we would not get the most out of for several years…and given his age…
January 3rd, 2015 at 10:45 am
@LUVMYBUCS
Bookmark that comment I said to you…so you can give me props later 😉
January 3rd, 2015 at 11:18 am
On the outside Roman seems like a surefire hire, but once you start peeling back the layers you find that maybe he just doesn’t pass the smell test. It’s a shame, because as an outsider I only see what the 49ers have accomplished in a very short time, and I’m impressed, but then to find that the internal strife over Roman’s employment is what got Harbaugh to leave is troubling. I don’t know the true story but from my perspective it seems like the team and the SF Bay area has become spoiled on winning, and with all of its recent success, couldn’t stomach having an off season. It appears that Roman has become the target of their frustration.
January 3rd, 2015 at 11:36 am
@BuccaneerBonzai
Lol, I’m sure that would be the case under regular circumstances. Since we all know Rod Marinelli held a similar position w/ Da Bears.
But with the need being so great to correct the offensive line issues. And Roman being the absolute best candidate. Maybe Marinelli and Lovie can reach an agreement with conditions. Since there’s a good chance IF hired-Roman’s time Tampa will be temporary .
January 3rd, 2015 at 11:38 am
I knew Mike Iupati in college, must mean something.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:08 pm
@ Bonzai
Unless we’re having trouble fitting him under the cap there is no reason to let Vincent Jackson go. This team needs all the strong veterans we can get and it would probably stunt Mike Evans growth to not have Jackson in that WR room with him.
Don’t try to fix the one thing that isn’t broken on this team. Big reciever’s with large catch radius’ are exactly what a young QB is going to need.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:20 pm
He was Lovie’s offensive line coach and later offensive coordinator in college. He is currently looking for work and one would assume would agree to everything Lovie puts in a contract to he can be gainfully employed.
That should scare any sober Bucs fan.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Roman is Lovie’s dream hire: Commitment to running the football and consistently ranking in the 20’s as an offense? Lovie just came.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:38 pm
Whoever the Bucs bring aboard I’m sure will be some other team’s castoff unwanteds, like Lovie.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:48 pm
Roman ran an exciting offense in SF until this season. Then everything went to ____. That has very little to do with him. His track record speaks for itself. Also, Harbaugh chose to leave SF instead of firing Roman. That should speak volumes about the guy. If it was the other way around and Jim wanted to fire him and SF owners said no. But it wasn’t.
January 3rd, 2015 at 12:55 pm
The only other OC I would really be interested in would be Trestman. The guy I would want in “fantasyland” is the OC/QB coach from Ohio State. He is going to be the HC at Univ. of Houston next week. But damn he is an amazing coach with everything they have gone thru recently.
If I was in charge in Tampa I would do my best to sign Tony Sporano as our new OLine coach. Trestman/Roman as OC and Sporano as our OL coach. That would be so much better than anything we have had in a decade.
And off topic a lil…are you ready for Braxton Miller to be the new QB at FSU next year for a season??? Its going down. That will give the new QB coming in from Charlotte NC this upcoming year a chance to redshirt. I’m a fan of this possibility.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:02 pm
A coach quit instead of firing Roman. The players and town laughed Rob Chud the dud right out of town in Charlotte because he is garbage. I would take even Tice over Dud. The guy cannot be an effective OC in the NFL. He destroyed Cam Newtons career while there. We need nothing to do with that considering there is a very high chance we will have a new QB with the #1 pick.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:06 pm
When you start letting a rich daddy’s girl who has absolutely no knowledge of football influence your organizations personnel decisions, disaster will soon follow.
Baalke should have put his daughter over his lap, given her a public spanking and then taken away her Sak’s credit card. Instead, she probably pouted about having to apologize and he bought her a Porsche.
The Apocalypse is near for the 49ers, mark my words.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:21 pm
Sometimes somebody says something so idiotic you just have to shine the light on him.
Name Required states Clyde Chistenson, Greg Roman and Mike Shula are primarily college coaching run first philosophies.
Most erroneous is Christenson. Stll with the Colts, the team wished it had a running game to overuse. The Colts are primarily a passing team.
Shula, with the Panthers are run first, but with two big backs they are paying big money too, that is the teams philosophy, not his.
As far as Roman goes, when the 49ers relied on Kapernick’s arm and decision making rather than Frank Gore’s legs, the miners usually lost.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:28 pm
Joe, completely agree. I posted this yesterday on one of your articles. I live in San Francisco and I can vouch for how much this city hates Roman’s playcalling. I don’t care if he’s leagues better than what we had last year, we shouldn’t be settling for mediocrity. There are plenty of better candidates out there.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:33 pm
As I have said before. Greg Roman got too conservative in his play calling and had everyone mad. I live in Oakland, Ca and listen to sports talk radio all the time. The people on the radio are experts just like JOE is in TB and have behind the scenes access as well. They fired Harbaugh because they were tired of his ways not because he wouldn’t fire Roman. Harbaugh wanted control over personnel too….. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUK the 9ers anyway. Their bandwagon fans suk. Im just afraid since he’s still under contract the YUCS might get dooped into giving up something for him.
January 3rd, 2015 at 1:50 pm
I don’t get the argument Eric Branch is trying to make considering Roman is still to this day a 49er. So, if they wanted Roman gone so bad that they would fire Harbaugh to do so, then they would have given Roman the axe that very day as well.
January 3rd, 2015 at 2:16 pm
I knew it, Ray Rice is probably another slacker posing troll from another team.
January 3rd, 2015 at 2:19 pm
Whoops, that was intended for bucbucbuc.
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Greg Roman has been the leagues worst OC for two years now. Remember the Super Bowl when the Niners had 2nd and goal from the three with the best running attack and HOF Frank Gore? Roman decided to throw three fades to Crabtree and throw our Super Bowl away. Last year in the NFC Championship on the last drive they were killing the Hawks up the middle of the field and Roman decided to go after Richard Sherman, throwing away another opportunity to win a Super Bowl. This year, the Niners basically led every game at the half by running it down the throats of their opponents, and Roman decided to start passing it in the second half with a lead, abandoning the run and basically handing the game away. The 49ers had a top 5 defense that held them in every game despite not having their top 3 players on D for most of the season. Harbaugh had the chance to replace Roman in the middle of the season for his ineptitude, but decided to stay loyal, which ultimately cost him his job. I’ll pay for the ticket to fly Roman out of SF to Tampa. He’s stubborn and thinks that his way is the only way. You guys definitely don’t wantbthis chump on your side, just ask Trent Baalke’s daughter
[Easy way to get banned is to use Joe’s name. Knock it off. — Joe]
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Guess you haven’t heard of ill-suited Marcus Arroyo and/or Mike Sullivan?
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:21 pm
@ddneast
Nope, been a hardcore Bucs fan for years. I just live in San Francisco, and I’m telling it like it is. This guy is a laughingstock here.
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:24 pm
Funk, you’re totally wrong about chud. Go look at newtons stats while he was OC in Carolina. Get your facts straight. He’s got an abrasive personality but would be a great fit for mariota
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:32 pm
No problem DDN. I’ve been a YUCS fan for 26 yrs. My whole family are Raiders. We all went to SD for the SB. I sat in the end zone side where Alstott plowed in for the TD. Man that was an awesome day. They will be back to being relevant soon enough.
January 3rd, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Bucbucbuc
You are right. They hate Roman now. But they didn’t hate him when they were winning. As I said before, I dislike the same bandwagon a$$$$$ fans that were loving all things 9ers, and now I can’t find one. Everyone caught 9er mania, everyone had flags, jerseys, etc…. Now it’s awesome to see them disappear. Roman got too conservative. But I’m unsure if that was Harbaugh or him. The real fans hate management (York, Baalke) more for letting their best coach in years walk.
January 3rd, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Joe – stop typing Mike Tice.
January 3rd, 2015 at 11:48 pm
Panic = mediocrity