The New Staff Is Really Coming Together - New Coaching Hires Merge

[BmoreColt]

I'm not blown away by this coaching staff....

[JWF]

Im liking the staff overall but not sure about this guy.

Maybe having a better HC and (hopefully) better assistants around him will allow him to get more out of guys.

[Superman]

Manusky...uuuuhhhh. This is such a let down after thinking we had Butler lined up to take over our defense. I'm sorry but I just don't get a good vibe on this hire. San Diego's defense regressed last year, players on defense quit on him as the season went on. San Fran's defense appeared to get better after this guy left. San Diego fired him...Oakland wouldn't hire him...and of course, the Colts say we'll take you. Great.

This hire is probably the result of new Charger DC John Pagano using his connections with his brother to "help out" the guy he replaced. I'll give him time to see what he can actually do on the field obviously...but my initial gut reaction to this announcement is CONCERN.

The Niners changed their entire staff last season, and yes the defense got better, but it was already pretty good under Manusky. Went from one of the worst to above average in just a couple of years, and eventually was pretty doggone good. Harbaugh and Fangio had a pretty good base to work with, and they did good things with it.

I'm not really concerned, but I do think we could have done better. And obviously, he wasn't our first choice.

[jgstriker]

I think that we took long enough to get to this point that it was a pretty good hire. Hopefully we dont see the pathetic 3rd down conversoin rate continue.

He HAS been on aggressive, in your face defenses and has been on some pretty successful ones. Hopefully, if nothing else, he can be a good teacher and tutor to all of these guys who do not have the 3-4 experience and will help us make the transition.

I like the special teams and safeties hire, though. Both have some expereince and Pagano knows them. Hopefully they bring some new ideas and some fire!

[Coltsman1788]

The Niners changed their entire staff last season, and yes the defense got better, but it was already pretty good under Manusky. Went from one of the worst to above average in just a couple of years, and eventually was pretty doggone good. Harbaugh and Fangio had a pretty good base to work with, and they did good things with it.

I'm not really concerned, but I do think we could have done better. And obviously, he wasn't our first choice.

Thanks for this Supes. This helps to alleviate some of my concerns but I am still disappointed. I will give him a chance though and hope to be pleasantly surprised. I am hoping that Pagano puts more of his stamp on the defensive side of things.

[GAColtfan]

Yes it can. The only defense that was worse on 3rd down than the Colts.... The 3-4 defense ran by Greg Manusky. They allowed 49% 3rd down conversion. Not only was that the worst 3rd down percentage allowed in 2011.... it's the worst 3rd down percentage this century (and perhaps longer, I only looked back to 2000).

I could see hiring him as a position coach- but the D in SF was always average at best, and last year w/ SD, the defense regressed bad..see the above quote.. so why our DC??? He has not been known for playing an aggressive style. Not sure what they see in him, will be interested to hear what Pagano has to say about the guy and what in the world motivated them to hire him as DC.

[BmoreColt]

Im liking the staff overall but not sure about this guy.

Maybe having a better HC and (hopefully) better assistants around him will allow him to get more out of guys.

I would have gotten a better dc...

[Rich Cannon]

I'm not blown away by this coaching staff....

Give them a chance, I can almost say they will be better than our last one especially defensively

[Restored]

Post from a 49ers SB Nation writer:

I was hesitant to see Greg Manusky go when Jim Harbaugh was hired. He’s a great motivator, and his scheme made San Francisco’s defense a force before it had some of the top-tier players it has now. But it IS a bend-but-don’t-break scheme that did happen to break when it was sorely needed. It was the kind of defense that you didn’t necessarily NEED to have a high-flying offense with, but it was one where a one-armed Alex Smith wasn’t able to supplement. The last five minutes of the game, even with a two-score lead were the most terrifying times ever because Manusky is a firm believe in his sub prevent and … it doesn’t work. At all. He draws up some great blitzes, but doesn’t know when to use them. He’s done wonders with linebackers in the past.

In short, I think he’s good for a rebuilding team because he’s such a good motivator and should be competent out the gate, but he has his flaws. The biggest question mark is the fact that Mike Nolan severely hampered Manusky in San Francisco, Mike Singletary had to do things his way, and San Diego is always looking for a scapegoat. Manusky WAS on the up-and-up and considered a potential head-coaching candidate before the last year or so in San Francisco.

I wouldn’t ask him back at this point, but you guys could have done so much worse.

[BmoreColt]

Give them a chance, I can almost say they will be better than our last one especially defensively

Liked Pagano a lot, not a Dan of msnusky..

[Bleedin Blue]

The one good thing about having a former DC (and a good one) as your HC is that if there are any deficiencies in Greg Manusky they will see it quickly and hopefully correct it.

[Thewholefnshow28]

Yes it can. The only defense that was worse on 3rd down than the Colts.... The 3-4 defense ran by Greg Manusky. They allowed 49% 3rd down conversion. Not only was that the worst 3rd down percentage allowed in 2011.... it's the worst 3rd down percentage this century (and perhaps longer, I only looked back to 2000).

When your one of the worst teams on 3rd down it is always a great idea to get the guy who was in charge of the defense that was the worst in 2011 and third worst in a centuary! Sounds like a plan.

Not to excited about the hire at DC.

[BmoreColt]

Fan* iPod spell correct

[rocking horse]

imo would have rather had the dc from alabama or lsu instead of an unemployed dc form a losing nfl team..sounds like our first mistake in the new era for grigs..hope i'm wrong..go colts!!!!

[NM_Colts]

Personally I'm more concerned about the OC than anyone else but we'll see how it goes. Considering how long it took us to get to this point they did what they thought was the best they could do from whom they had to choose from. I'm sure the new HC will tweak the staff after the end of the season unlike former regimes who seemed "married" to certain staff members and never replaced them no matter their performance.

[wordofmouth]

It's hard to get too excited about this coaching staff. I like Pagano but he has very little experience as even a coordinator ( one year ) and Arians and Manusky seem pretty average. Now, these guys could end up being great, and I hope they do, but I can't say that they look like a sure thing.

[oldunclemark]

Tweet from Alex Marvez:

I'm liking this..''Sounds like the new coach is getting 'his people'

[Captain Americolt]

im just gonna call it how I see it. This moves totally blows.. Jmo. Extremely uncertain about this..

[BuildtheMonster1285]

Nah Sanders will probably injure himself trying to get on the plane back to Indy. . Poor guy.

Hilarious!

[PrincetonTiger]

In just the last week Coach Pagano has really put together what I consider a top notch group of NFL veteran coaches and or former players.

[NagelHausForge]

I would agree with you on all except the new DC... from what I have read about the defences he has put together I am not impressed.... though that might be a result of the talent he was given to use.... time will tell I suppose.

[1959Colts]

I agree. The staff also seems to be much younger too.

[WSO]

I would agree with you on all except the new DC... from what I have read about the defences he has put together I am not impressed.... though that might be a result of the talent he was given to use.... time will tell I suppose.

Well he was the architect behind the current 49ers defense. That defense was AWFUL up until about 2008. Remember against the Colts? Addai had to throw a touchdown. This season the 49ers hit a jackpot with Aldon Smith, Whitner and Rodgers so the defense looks amazing but a lot of the core players were put in place by him.

[Fatboyslim11]

I like the staff. I hope they bring a more tough minded, aggressive style to all three phases of our game.

[CashMoney]

im just gonna call it how I see it. This moves totally blows.. Jmo. Extremely uncertain about this..

+1

[kansascolt]

Yes it can. The only defense that was worse on 3rd down than the Colts.... The 3-4 defense ran by Greg Manusky. They allowed 49% 3rd down conversion. Not only was that the worst 3rd down percentage allowed in 2011.... it's the worst 3rd down percentage this century (and perhaps longer, I only looked back to 2000).

Thanks for helping me be optimistic.

[1959Colts]

I think all this hate for Manusky is crazy.

Im sure he will be way better than any of the crappy coaches we have had.

Just look at his photos. At least he looks like a football coach, and not like some little old man, as our all our previous coaches did.

[Coffeedrinker]

Thanks for helping me be optimistic.

Not my job.

People said the same thing when the Colts brought in Coyer... So many people were, "Can't get any worse than Meeks." And from reading comments from 49er and Charger fans they have some similar complaints that plagued Coyer.... doesn't know when to call his blitzes, becomes too predictable, plays too soft with the game on the line...

[Superman]

I think all this hate for Manusky is crazy.

Im sure he will be way better than any of the crappy coaches we have had.

Just look at his photos. At least he looks like a football coach, and not like some little old man, as our all our previous coaches did.

I think the negative comments are a little overboard, but I do believe we could have done better.

[GAColtfan]

It's hard to get too excited about this coaching staff. I like Pagano but he has very little experience as even a coordinator ( one year ) and Arians and Manusky seem pretty average. Now, these guys could end up being great, and I hope they do, but I can't say that they look like a sure thing.

I think I feel better about Arians hiring- he has led SB winning offense- and that O came through in clutch times. Manusky is, how can I say it, uninspiring.

This was my concern with a first time HC. If we bring Peyton back it is to make a push for SB, trying to break in a new HC. If we have rookie QB leading, well rookie QB, rookie HC just does not sound like a great combination.

Either way- whether or not I feel good about the hiring or not.. I hope they blow the doors off of the NFL

[HGRekks]

I'm not sure Pagano won't be coaching the D anyway. Yeah, I know a solid number of head coaches just gameplan and stuff, but Pagano's press conference gave me the impression that he was installing his D, which is not Manusky's. Until shown otherwise, I'm assuming this is Pagano's D. After all, all anyone is doing is assuming at this point.

I recall Alfredo Roberts playing for the Cowboys a long time ago, I believe. Of course, that hardly matters.

[Superman]

I'm not sure Pagano won't be coaching the D anyway. Yeah, I know a solid number of head coaches just gameplan and stuff, but Pagano's press conference gave me the impression that he was installing his D, which is not Manusky's. Until shown otherwise, I'm assuming this is Pagano's D. After all, all anyone is doing is assuming at this point.

I recall Alfredo Roberts playing for the Cowboys a long time ago, I believe. Of course, that hardly matters.

Manusky was coordinator first for a head coach who wanted a stiff 3-4, even though they still had personnel issues. And they still did pretty good, overall.

I know he's pretty much a 3-4 guy, but he's worked with a lot of players. And with Pagano's defensive background, I get the feeling those two are going to put their heads together and come up with a pretty good defensive gameplan every week. I'm not excited about the hire, but I excited about the possibilities.

[BOTT]

Personally I'm more concerned about the OC than anyone else but we'll see how it goes. Considering how long it took us to get to this point they did what they thought was the best they could do from whom they had to choose from. I'm sure the new HC will tweak the staff after the end of the season unlike former regimes who seemed "married" to certain staff members and never replaced them no matter their performance.

meh, i'm not too worried about arians. i mean tom moore's resume was pretty mediocre before he met up with peyton manning. in 2009 the steelers had 4000yrd passer , two 1000 yard receivers, and a 1000 yard rusher.

[Coffeedrinker]

meh, i'm not too worried about arians. i mean tom moore's resume was pretty mediocre before he met up with peyton manning. in 2009 the steelers had 4000yrd passer , two 1000 yard receivers, and a 1000 yard rusher.

That's fine that you feel that way and you and several people on here are making me feel better about Arians than my initial reaction. But the part about Tom Moore is not true. He turned Scott Mitchell into a 4000 yard QB, made Herman Moore a household name at WR. And he did the same thing with Mitchell that he did with Manning, he gave him three plays and let him pick the best play after seeing the D.

[number28]

great move imo. and the new HC is a great move.

I am loving what we are doing with this new coaching staff. One of the only things I have seen positive so far.

[wegotchucky]

Oh yeah, his D was the worst on 3rd downs, but need I remind people that the Chargers have only one real pass rusher, and he was injured for four and a half games this last season. I see him cominng to the Colts and opening up our playbook. Schemes for third downs can only do so much with talent that was more predicated to stopping the run (Chargers). He'll be a lot better for us than that rediculous Tampa Two.

[wordofmouth]

Manusky was coordinator first for a head coach who wanted a stiff 3-4, even though they still had personnel issues. And they still did pretty good, overall.

I know he's pretty much a 3-4 guy, but he's worked with a lot of players. And with Pagano's defensive background, I get the feeling those two are going to put their heads together and come up with a pretty good defensive gameplan every week. I'm not excited about the hire, but I excited about the possibilities.

Good post. While I am not overly excied about this hire, what really matters is how well he can work with Pagano. If he is, indeed, a teacher and a motivator than he may be a good fit.

[NM_Colts]

meh, i'm not too worried about arians. i mean tom moore's resume was pretty mediocre before he met up with peyton manning. in 2009 the steelers had 4000yrd passer , two 1000 yard receivers, and a 1000 yard rusher.

2009 was good but what happened last year? I work with a Steelers fan and he's ecstatic that Arians is gone and made a point to voice his concern about our new OC.

[Superman]

First thing he needs to tell Joe Lefedge is if the kick is really deep you take a knee and live to make yourself a fool next return.

Nope. First thing he should tell Lefeged is "You are no longer going to be returning kicks."

[PrincetonTiger]

I agree. The staff also seems to be much younger too.

Alfredo and Manusky played in the 90s and Manusky didn't retire until 1999