Has a coach, with as much success as Jim Harbaugh has had in San Francisco, ever fallen out of favor more quickly?  He was one better play call away from beating his brother and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy two years ago, and was in the NFC Championship just last year against a great Seattle Seahawks team.  And now finds himself being recruited with a record contract by his alma mater, but on the outs in San Fran since the beginning of the year.

Al Davis famously said, “Just win baby!”  Davis’ Raiders are rumored to be interested in the beleaguered coach.

His reputation precedes him.  His antics can make you cringe.  His pregame with his quarterback ritual (banging the shoulders and chest and having his QB do the same to him) probably makes Colin Kaepernick cringe as well.  But all he has done, in short order, is bring the once-proud franchise of the San Francisco 49ers back to prominence in the NFL.  This is the same team that had the No. 1 overall pick a decade ago.  Winning usually trumps petulance in a league full of the biggest egos in the world, but not on the Pacific side of northern California.

Kaepernick is in the familiar transition of extremely physically gifted athlete playing quarterback, to quarterback with great athleticism.  This transition can be painful.  Kaepernick has looked pedestrian at times this year, getting sacked like he never has before.  He even acknowledged his need to improve his mechanics, noting that doing that in-season is a risky proposition, but will consider working with a QB tutor to be better prepared for next season.  He will be doing that preparation as the San Francisco 49ers look for a new head coach and assistants that will be coming in to attempt to take the team where Harbaugh had just recently taken it.

However, they would like the 49ers to be hoisting that trophy at the end of the game.