Mariucci says control was never a big issue
January 17, 2003
In turns strident and forceful, and other times grateful and teary, Steve Mariucci made his public goodbyes to his job as the coach of the 49ers Thursday.
The event originally was scheduled for the 49ers' regular meeting room at their Santa Clara facility. But when media requests increased, the venue was switched to a large conference room at a nearby Hilton hotel.
Mariucci was rushed through the hotel kitchen like a rock star and exited the same way. In between, Mariucci gave an emotional farewell and related his version of events that led to his firing Wednesday.
Contesting the 49ers' stance that he no longer fit into their organizational structure, the head coach said he never made a demand for more an explicit authority.
Mariucci did he say he tried to recapture some of the authority he lost in the management and ownership transitions.
"I would be responsible for having a say in who the strength coaches were or who the equipment people were -- those positions that dealt with the players directly," he said.
He said his agent, Gary O'Hagan, mentioned to owner John York and general manager Terry Donahue that Mariucci would be willing to take on some of executive John McVay's duties if need be. The contract for the 72-year-old McVay expires May 1.
Those issues and others were discussed during an hourlong phone call Monday night between York and Mariucci. After that call, Mariucci told his wife, Gayle, that a contract extension might not be forthcoming.
After a fitful night of sleep, York determined he could no longer continue with Mariucci as his head coach.
"When we talked the other day, it was about seeing different colors. He said that," Mariucci said of York. "I'm not sure exactly what that means."
The coach and owner simply didn't see eye to eye on the smallest issues, a contention neither one contests.
One included the purchase of belt buckles for the players as a reward for winning the NFC West. It's a tradition that started in 1981 when Bill Walsh was coach and some other NFL teams followed suit.
Walsh contends the 49ers didn't do it every time they won the division. While York was weighing whether to purchase the belt buckles, Mariucci said he would buy them. York construed the decision as undermining his authority.
"There were issues big and small that we just didn't agree on," York said.
As far as questions of his authority, Mariucci said he would have settled for simply being the coach, but he wasn't given that option.
In moving on, the 49ers likely will be methodical in their search for a coach. Both York and Donahue are thorough decision-makers. Donahue likely will put a preliminary list of candidates together and York won't be brought into the interviewing process until the latter stages.
It will take at least 10 days to hire a coach. That means the eight 49ers coaches without contracts will have to wait to see if the new coach wants them.
Coaches not bent on waiting include linebacker coach Richard Smith and special teams coach Bruce DeHaven, who might go elsewhere.
One reason the team will not move rapidly is the need to sincerely explore the possibility of hiring an African-American coach. York has a call into Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney and others about putting together a viable list.
It's something York feels strongly about, and would probably explore even if there weren't a mandate from the league to interview African-American candidates.
York has been extremely impressed with Herman Edwards, who was the defensive backs coach with Tampa Bay before his hiring as the Jets' coach in 2001. York also took note of Edwards consoling his young quarterback Chad Pennington at the end of their playoff drubbing last week in Oakland.
Among the top African-American assistants are Rams defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and Jets defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell.
Another who jumps off the list is Notre Dame and former Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham.
"I don't know under the circumstances if we would express interest," York said. "He's a very good role model right where he is."
The team likely will interview 49ers wide receivers coach George Stewart, who is African American.
York's insistence on interviewing candidates of color puts former 49ers assistant and former Vikings coach Dennis Green back in the mix. Green, who served as wide receivers coach under Bill Walsh with the 49ers, likely will be interviewed.
Another candidate who has popped up is Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak. He got his start in the NFL as a coach with the 49ers in 1994, overseeing quarterbacks, and was partially credited for Steve Young's development during that championship year.
As a play-caller for the consistently explosive Broncos, Kubiak could perk up the offense and has a grounding in the West Coast offense.
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