43
Kelly eager to ignite 49ers
By Tom Williams
YOUNGSTOWN
San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid is about to play for his third head coach in three seasons.
The 18th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft says the transition from Jim Tomsula to Chip Kelly “has been a good one.”
The former LSU defensive back, who was in the Mahoning Valley on Monday to support the Edward J. DeBartolo Memorial Scholarship Foundation’s annual dinner at the Covelli Centre, said the coaching carousel that dominates the league “unfortunately is NFL football.”
“When you come from college and you have one head coach for four years, I didn’t know there would be that much transition,” Reid said of having his eyes opened to culture of professional football.
After the 2014 season, Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers parted ways. 49ers CEO Jed York and General Manager Trent Baalke promoted defensive line coach Jim Tomsula to head coach.
The 49ers went 5-11 last fall and replaced Tomsula with Chip Kelly, the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-15.
“He is consistently energetic,” York said of Kelly. “You see it practice. You see the professionalism. I’m excited for the year.”
Baalke said offering Kelly the job “was an easy decision” even though “there were a lot of talented candidates.
“Jed and I met with him and talked philosophy, talked vision,” Baalke said. “It just became obvious our vision was in line 100 percent.”
As for Tomsula, York said the decision to change coaches after one season was difficult.
“It’s never easy to make a change, but I think it was evident that we needed one,” the Cardinal Mooney High School graduate said. “I love Jimmy T, I love the enthusiasm that he had.
“But we just didn’t get it done and I didn’t see it turning around,” York said. “Chip is a consummate pro. He won at the NFL level, he certainly won at the college level.
“I think he’s going to do a great job for us.”
Kelly, who led the Eagles to two 10-6 seasons before being fired in December when Philadelphia had a 7-9 record, has been to the Valley before.
“When you are a college football recruiter and I was up until a couple years ago before I got into the NFL, you’re very aware the football in Northeast Ohio.”
Attending the fund-raiser was not a chore.
“I think it’s what the organization I’m a part of now is all about,” Kelly said. “The York family has had a tremendous impact in the Bay Area and still have this impact in Northeast Ohio.
“It’s an honor to be a part of it.”
Kelly also said he considers himself fortunate “to land with an organization that I’m aligned with philosophically. That was evident the first time I met Trent Baalke and Jed York. I left that meeting with them hoping it would work out.”
Kelly said the 49ers players “have been awesome in the transition. We kind of hit the ground running. We’re excited to get going when we start up again in July.”
Reid agreed.
“It’s been smooth — we like the coaching staff,” Reid said. “OTAs went very well, mini-camp went well — [I’m] just looking forward to the season.
“I saw [a report] that we’re not picked to win a single game this year, which is interesting,” Reid said. “I like it that way.
“People don’t give you a chance and it gives you something to play for.”
Eric Wolford, the Youngstown State University head coach from 2010-14, will again be a 49ers offensive line assistant coach.
“I kept a couple of coaches from the last staff,” said Kelly referring to running back coach Tom Rathman. “Wolfie does a heckuva job. The opportunity to keep him is a huge bonus.”