49ers Clubhouse

San Francisco Chronicle

Neuheisel adds to 49ers' intrigue

February 11, 2003

Glenn Dickey
Ted Cottrell probably is the leading candidate for the 49ers' head- coaching job, but don't rule out Rick Neuheisel, even though Neuheisel posted a statement Monday on the University of Washington Web site saying he would stay with the Huskies.
A source close to the 49ers' situation told me Monday, "Rick is a slick one.
He'll deny it right up until the time he takes the job." Neuheisel, who was supposed to be on a ski trip, was spotted on a flight from the Bay Area on Sunday night.
No candidate has been offered the job. Neuheisel is an intriguing wild card because of his connection with 49ers general manager Terry Donahue, both as a player and an assistant coach at UCLA, and the fact that he's an offensive coach.
Hiring a defensive coordinator as head coach works only if a team's offense is in good hands. George Seifert was very successful as a head coach with the 49ers because he had Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan as his offensive coordinators.
Greg Knapp is not equal to either of the Mikes, and the 49ers' offense is in trouble.
The 49ers need help in the offensive line and at wide receiver, and they also need to decide whether they're going to revamp their offense to maximize Jeff Garcia's ability to scramble and improvise, or whether they're going to try to get another quarterback and run a more orthodox offense. Last year's compromise resulted in an offense that was dead last in the NFL in average gain per completion.
A defensive coach won't solve that problem, but Neuheisel might. Donahue wouldn't need to go through the exhaustive interviews he's had with other candidates because he knows Neuheisel. If Donahue offers the job, I think Neuheisel will take it, despite his disavowal.
LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: John York did Steve Mariucci a huge favor by firing him, leaving Mariucci free to accept the richest coaching contract in the NFL.
Meanwhile, York, who hates his brother-in-law, has made Eddie DeBartolo look like a model owner in comparison. When Eddie wanted to fire George Seifert, Carmen Policy had Mariucci ready to take the job before Seifert was pensioned off. York not only didn't have a replacement in mind, he didn't even have a list. That's like taking out a starting pitcher before anybody is warming up in the bullpen.
TV BASEBALL: It's strictly a matter of timing that Fox Sports Net will carry 90 Giants games and 60 A's games this season.
"The Giants' contract was up this year," FSN general manager Jeff Krolik said. "The A's contract will be up next year, and we'll go to 90 A's games then. We stagger the contracts because we don't want to get into a Koufax/Drysdale deal." (For younger readers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale negotiated together in 1966 to try to get a better deal.)
Both teams will have about 135-140 televised games this season. Those A's games not on FSN will be on KICU (Channel 36). The Giants' overflow will be on KTVU (Channel 2).
In the early days of televised baseball, teams feared that too many TV games would cut into attendance. "Now, they want every game on," Krolik said. "The Giants might be playing in Pittsburgh with an 11 a.m. start and they're mad because the game isn't televised."
STILL THERE: Adam Piatt sometimes seems like the forgotten man with the A's, but general manager Billy Beane hasn't given up on him. "This is a guy who's put up big numbers in the minors every time he's gotten 500 at-bats in a season," Beane said. "I'm not going to trade him to another team and have him put up those numbers for that team." If Terrence Long doesn't bounce back from his season-long slump of last year, Piatt could get his shot this year.
UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM: New A's manager Ken Macha will wait to see how everything shakes out in spring training, but if he were to set a batting order today, he'd put slugger Erubiel Durazo in the No. 2 slot, because Durazo has a plus-.400 on-base percentage, and have Chris Singleton at No. 9, to give him the equivalent of two leadoff hitters, with Mark Ellis at the top of the order. If the two came to bat in the same inning, you might see an unusual sight: The A's running to get their offense going. I like both ideas -- and I like it even more that Macha is willing to discard conventional wisdom if he sees a better idea.
DINNER CHANGE: The 2nd annual Hispanic Baseball Museum dinner has been postponed from Feb. 22 to May 3 because honored guest Felipe Alou can't make it. Something about spring training.
DOUBLES AT THE FRENCH?: Perhaps the reason Steffi Graf hasn't yet fully committed to playing mixed doubles with her husband, Andre Agassi, at the French Open is because she remembers her last mixed doubles experience, with John McEnroe at Wimbledon two years ago. McEnroe ordered her around the court on every point, until he missed a shot. Steffi dropped her racket, put her hands on her hips and glared at him, in perfect imitation of McEnroe's usual behavior.
SORRY, COMMISSIONER: Every time I see Bud Selig, I think, "This is the guy who blocked George W. Bush in his drive to become commissioner." I can never forgive Selig.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.

Glenn Dickey

Ted Cottrell probably is the leading candidate for the 49ers' head- coaching job, but don't rule out Rick Neuheisel, even though Neuheisel posted a statement Monday on the University of Washington Web site saying he would stay with the Huskies.

A source close to the 49ers' situation told me Monday, "Rick is a slick one.

He'll deny it right up until the time he takes the job." Neuheisel, who was supposed to be on a ski trip, was spotted on a flight from the Bay Area on Sunday night.

No candidate has been offered the job. Neuheisel is an intriguing wild card because of his connection with 49ers general manager Terry Donahue, both as a player and an assistant coach at UCLA, and the fact that he's an offensive coach.

Hiring a defensive coordinator as head coach works only if a team's offense is in good hands. George Seifert was very successful as a head coach with the 49ers because he had Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan as his offensive coordinators.

Greg Knapp is not equal to either of the Mikes, and the 49ers' offense is in trouble.

The 49ers need help in the offensive line and at wide receiver, and they also need to decide whether they're going to revamp their offense to maximize Jeff Garcia's ability to scramble and improvise, or whether they're going to try to get another quarterback and run a more orthodox offense. Last year's compromise resulted in an offense that was dead last in the NFL in average gain per completion.

A defensive coach won't solve that problem, but Neuheisel might. Donahue wouldn't need to go through the exhaustive interviews he's had with other candidates because he knows Neuheisel. If Donahue offers the job, I think Neuheisel will take it, despite his disavowal.

LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: John York did Steve Mariucci a huge favor by firing him, leaving Mariucci free to accept the richest coaching contract in the NFL.

Meanwhile, York, who hates his brother-in-law, has made Eddie DeBartolo look like a model owner in comparison. When Eddie wanted to fire George Seifert, Carmen Policy had Mariucci ready to take the job before Seifert was pensioned off. York not only didn't have a replacement in mind, he didn't even have a list. That's like taking out a starting pitcher before anybody is warming up in the bullpen.

TV BASEBALL: It's strictly a matter of timing that Fox Sports Net will carry 90 Giants games and 60 A's games this season.

"The Giants' contract was up this year," FSN general manager Jeff Krolik said. "The A's contract will be up next year, and we'll go to 90 A's games then. We stagger the contracts because we don't want to get into a Koufax/Drysdale deal." (For younger readers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale negotiated together in 1966 to try to get a better deal.)

Both teams will have about 135-140 televised games this season. Those A's games not on FSN will be on KICU (Channel 36). The Giants' overflow will be on KTVU (Channel 2).

In the early days of televised baseball, teams feared that too many TV games would cut into attendance. "Now, they want every game on," Krolik said. "The Giants might be playing in Pittsburgh with an 11 a.m. start and they're mad because the game isn't televised."

STILL THERE: Adam Piatt sometimes seems like the forgotten man with the A's, but general manager Billy Beane hasn't given up on him. "This is a guy who's put up big numbers in the minors every time he's gotten 500 at-bats in a season," Beane said. "I'm not going to trade him to another team and have him put up those numbers for that team." If Terrence Long doesn't bounce back from his season-long slump of last year, Piatt could get his shot this year.

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM: New A's manager Ken Macha will wait to see how everything shakes out in spring training, but if he were to set a batting order today, he'd put slugger Erubiel Durazo in the No. 2 slot, because Durazo has a plus-.400 on-base percentage, and have Chris Singleton at No. 9, to give him the equivalent of two leadoff hitters, with Mark Ellis at the top of the order. If the two came to bat in the same inning, you might see an unusual sight: The A's running to get their offense going. I like both ideas -- and I like it even more that Macha is willing to discard conventional wisdom if he sees a better idea.

DINNER CHANGE: The 2nd annual Hispanic Baseball Museum dinner has been postponed from Feb. 22 to May 3 because honored guest Felipe Alou can't make it. Something about spring training.

DOUBLES AT THE FRENCH?: Perhaps the reason Steffi Graf hasn't yet fully committed to playing mixed doubles with her husband, Andre Agassi, at the French Open is because she remembers her last mixed doubles experience, with John McEnroe at Wimbledon two years ago. McEnroe ordered her around the court on every point, until he missed a shot. Steffi dropped her racket, put her hands on her hips and glared at him, in perfect imitation of McEnroe's usual behavior.

SORRY, COMMISSIONER: Every time I see Bud Selig, I think, "This is the guy who blocked George W. Bush in his drive to become commissioner." I can never forgive Selig.

Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.