Harbaugh agrees to deal with San Francisco

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

Declaring it a “perfect competitive opportunity,” Jim Harbaugh accepted the job as coach of the 49ers and said his goal is to win a Lombardi Trophy for “one of the legendary franchises in all of football.”

The successful Stanford coach gets to remain in the Bay Area, moving to the NFL after four years with the Cardinal. A longtime NFL quarterback, he replaces fired coach Mike Singletary. ESPN reported Harbaugh’s deal is for $25 million over five years.

Harbaugh decided to make the jump to the pros even though San Francisco has missed the playoffs for eight straight seasons and Orange Bowl MVP quarterback Andrew Luck decided to remain at Stanford for another season.

“I can feel the enthusiasm coursing through my veins right now,” Harbaugh said. “I accept this competitive challenge willingly.”

The Cardinal (12-1) finished with a school-record 12 wins following a 40-12 victory over Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Harbaugh, though, has long admired the late Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh, one of his mentors, and how Walsh made the successful leap from Stanford to the 49ers.

Now, he must turn around a once-proud franchise that is desperate to become a contender again right away. The 49ers were expected to win the NFC West this season, then began 0-5 for their worst start since losing seven straight to begin a 2-14 season in 1979 — Walsh’s first year as coach.

The 49ers finished 6-10 this year — in the chase for a playoff berth in the NFL’s worst division until the second-to-last week — and haven’t had a winning season since their last trip to the playoffs in 2002.

Harbaugh likely will be grooming a new quarterback in the coming months. Alex Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick out of Utah, becomes a free agent. So, finding a QB is high on the team’s to-do list heading into what should be a busy offseason.

Once the season begins, Harbaugh will face a familiar foe — big brother John Harbaugh, coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

Niners team president and CEO Jed York said when Singletary was fired that money would be no object in finding the team’s next coach.