Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Two HCs who just may end up being 2023 National and Super Bowl Champions respectively (though Nick Saban and the Ravens such tough respective obstacles).

Each have led SF to a SB with two extra CC-appearances to boot!

Who would you all rather have as your HC if they were your top-two options? I'm torn.

I would go with Harbaugh ... Shanahan is worse in the clutch. If the Niners dont win it all this year, they probably never will for him. You still have to wonder if the Yorks will be invited to the pigs table of other owners ... haha

Harbaugh's a strange duck. He always seems to have one foot out the door, no matter where he goes, and appears to go out of his way to rub people the wrong way. I'm one of those who thinks he's gone to the NFL, no matter what happens between now and Jan. 8. I'll give him props for taking teams as far as the SB or CPC, but man, one of these days you gotta win one of them. Maybe this year.

Harbaugh finally won his college football championship but Shanahan still cant win it all. This game was theirs for the taking but

--Two turnovers killed 49ers momentum, especially a turnover in the first quarter that ended a potential scoring drive.

--The Niners converted a fourth down gamble that resulted in a TD but were only 3 of 12 on third down conversions.

--With a chance to go up 17-13 and force a Chiefs TD to take the lead, the kicker, who makes two FGs from over 50 yards, misses the extra point. The Chiefs tie the game twice, before going to overtime.

--The 49ers quit giving the ball to McCaffrey in the third quarter. Purdy gets cold trying to throw the football as the Chiefs score the next ten points before the 49ers finally give the ball back to McCaffrey while taking a 16-13 lead. McCaffrey also gives the team a first down at the KC nine yard line in overtime but the offense cant get a commanding TD lead, settling for a FG. The defense cant stop the Chiefs from winning the game.

Sadly for Kyle, if Bart were still in-charge he'd be gone. Not sure any Lynch intervention would help him either (maybe he'd be out as well).

And STEINBRENNER?? FORGET it!! He would have either been gone after 2018 or 2020 - take your pick!

But luckily for him, not the case. He's still in good faith with the organisation as I opine he should be! At least for the next couple or several years. And definitely give un$elfi$h Purdy at least another full year before taking it from there which, I'm very sure, will involve signing him to that big lasting contract!

Kyle just completed his 7th season with SF as HC. The same amount of years as Madden the year before his triumph in '76! John with many more regular season wins in that time. It helps that he inherited a contender whereas Kyle had to fight through those first two years suffering 6-10 then 4-12 finishes. Going into '76, John had that 5-6 playoff record thus far whilst Kyle at least has appeared in two SBs along with a total post-season record of 8-4 (two wins per every playoff berth of his). But, YES, Madden had to deal with the OBVIOUS strong competition of the day!

But, in either event, DO give Kyle a little more time. After all, Rings are in his DNA!

And it had to bum Elway out, end of game, to NOT give the Trophy to a Shanahan-coached team! You could see it in his face at times. The opposite would be when Staubach, in Dallas, following the conclusion of SBXLV didn’t have to give it to the very franchise that owned him in the ’70s! You could clearly see it on his face.