Top 5 Head Coach Openings: Atlanta Falcons the top destination

December 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (right) high-fives guard Joe Looney (78) against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Levi

3. San Francisco 49ers

I still have no idea why the ‘Niners let Jim Harbaugh go. Yes, the team had a .500 season this year, but in three previous seasons, it had at least made the NFC Championship game. I can’t imagine that there were “damaged relationships” between Harbaugh and the front office or the players, and as the front office was saying, the media had twisted, turned, and skewed Harbaugh’s relationships with the team. If they let him go because of a “bad” season this year, that’s asinine. Anyway, there’s a lot for a new coach to work for.

Remember, this year Harbaugh didn’t have his top two inside linebackers in Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, arguably the best two inside linebackers in the league. The offensive line was banged up for much of the season and Colin Kaepernick was nowhere near where he was at the end of last season. But a new coach should be able to get Kaepernick the right help to become a passer, as he’s never really learned how to be a pocket passer. Willis and Bowman should be back for opening day in 2015.

The only negative of going to San Francisco would be coaching in a tough division — Arizona and Seattle are great, and St. Louis is a good quarterback away from being a winning team. With that said, San Francisco is still an attractive destination for a new coach.

Next: Miami*