CBS SportLine

Notes, quotes, anecdotes
 
 
February 17, 2003
 
by The Sports Xchange.

--Civil rights lawyer Cyrus Mehri, who teamed with Johnnie Cochran to put pressure on the NFL to hire more minorities to positions of power, said he was satisfied that the 49ers conducted such a thorough search.

Three African-American coaches were interviewed for the 49ers' head-coaching job, including finalists Ted Cottrell and Greg Blache. Ultimately, the 49ers went with Dennis Erickson, whom Donahue has known for many years.

"We feel it was fair and deliberate and an inclusive process," Mehri said. "We don't have any issues with how they carried out the process. As far as we know, it was a fair and open process. Cincinnati and San Francisco created models that other teams should follow next year."

Earlier this offseason, the Bengals hired Marvin Lewis, making him the third African-American coach in the league.

Mehri said he is convinced that all candidates the 49ers interviewed were placed on a level playing field.

"I don't think if you interview Ted Cottrell for 14 hours, that's a show," Mehri said. "That's a serious look. There are lessons that were learned. It's not enough for a minority to compete to be a runner-up, which is what happened in Dallas and Detroit. You need all people competing for the job. You can't say that didn't happen in San Francisco."

--Erickson becomes just the second coach in 49ers history to have previous NFL coaching experience and the first since 1955. Norman "Red" Strader, who died in 1956, is the only coach in team history to previously hold a head job in the NFL. He coached the New York Yanks to a 7-5 record in their inaugural NFL season of 1950.

--It was one of the more amusing side plots to the 49ers' coaching search. Former QB Steve Young, who now works as an ESPN studio analyst, said on the air and repeated it for a group of Bay Area reporters that Bill Walsh might be the next coach of the team.

There were some public reports that Walsh was heavily involved in team owner John York's decision to fire Steve Mariucci, so Young was putting more heat on Walsh by suggesting that he might take over the role.

Three years ago, Young was angered that Walsh took it upon himself to first announce that Young would be playing for the Denver Broncos, then came back the next day to, in effect, announce Young's retirement.

After Young's remarks got some attention -- and QB Jeff Garcia said a Walsh return to the sideline would not shock him -- the Hall of Fame coach moved quickly to squash that notion with some humor.

"A couple of my former players said I was going to coach next year or they wouldn't be surprised," Walsh said. "I think I'll skip a couple years. I would like to come back into the league as a head coach in the year 2005 or 2008, somewhere in there. I just need a little break and I'll be back. They just have to have wheelchair access onto the field and I'll be raring to go."

--Although the seriousness of his candidacy for the job might have been underestimated, team sources say that defensive coordinator Jim Mora was the most organized and prepared of the finalists who met with team owner John York and general manager Terry Donahue.

Mora, 41, had a plan in place and was said to be bringing Gunther Cunningham onto his staff as the defensive coordinator. One highly placed team source said that there is a feeling that Mora will be better as a head coach than he is as a defensive coordinator.

--Team owner John York fired Mariucci after the 49ers went 10-6 and won a playoff game, citing "philosophical differences." Mariucci, who was scheduled to earn $2.2 million in the final year of his deal with the 49ers, became tied for the highest-paid coach in the league when the Detroit Lions signed him to a five-year, $25 million contract.

"Congratulations," York said. "I knew he would be back in coaching. I wish him the best."

When asked if he was surprised that the Lions would pay that much for Mariucci, York replied, "It's a big number."

--WR Terrell Owens is considering playing minor-league basketball again this offseason. Last year, he played a handful of games with the Adirondack Wildcats of the U.S. Basketball League.

QUOTE TO NOTE

"I would like to believe we'll compete for a world championship this year. I'm getting older. I got to get it going" -- Newly hired 49ers coach Dennis Erickson, who turns 56 next month.


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