49ers move forward from 2010 looking for GM, coach

SAN FRANCISCO — Vernon Davis, Ted Ginn Jr., Alex Smith, Patrick Willis — they all will be watching closely in the coming days and weeks to see what the San Francisco 49ers' future entails. Along with many others.

Team president Jed York will soon hire a new general manager, then that person will find the coach to replace fired Mike Singletary.

Will sought-after Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh consider leaving the Cardinal after the Orange Bowl on Monday night for a franchise that hasn't reached playoffs in eight years? He will have his share of options, that's for sure.

"It's going to be interesting," said Willis, a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker who missed the first game of his career Sunday following a second surgery on his broken right hand.

San Francisco heads into the offseason — earlier than expected — after a disappointing 6-10 year that began with a perfect preseason and high hopes of winning the NFC West. Instead, the 49ers started 0-5 and couldn't recover. It's 7-9 Seattle instead headed to the playoffs as the unlikely division champion, a team the 49ers beat 40-21 back on Dec. 12.

The 49ers fired Singletary after a 25-17 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 26 that eliminated the team from playoff contention.

"I think we did play tight," Davis, the Niners' star tight end, said Monday after a season-ending team meeting. "Guys were just a little scared. They were scared. They were more worried about coach Singletary getting on them instead of playing football. But you have to understand him. If you don't understand the guy then you are not going to be able to relate to him. I think that's what the problem was with most guys. They were scared, worried about dropping passes and missing tackles instead of just going out and being themselves. But he left and guys started to be a little easy."

York said last week he would get a general manager in place and that person would hire the coach, though it's unclear whether it will actually happen that way. The Niners want to make their run at Harbaugh, and soon. Vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke is considered the favorite for GM, though it appeared York still planned to interview some other candidates early this week who were still working for teams as of Sunday.