The San Francisco 49ers spent this past Sunday playing the Rams in what could be considered a microcosm of their season ? high expectations with bursts of inspiration mired by uneducated sloppy play and ending with the sour taste of bitter defeat. Before the season started, literally every expert (yours truly included) had the 49ers running away in an all-time soft NFC West division. These expectations were based off of a tough, strong 2009 campaign where the 49ers were a physical team with a tough defense and playmakers on offense. Remnants of anything close to what resembled these 2009 traits all seem like very, very distant memories today as San Francisco?s 2010 defense couldn?t stop a Pop Warner team and there aren?t enough negative adjectives in a thesaurus to describe how inept the offense has played. There was a time in San Francisco when seasons were measured not by wins and losses, not by the amount of Pro Bowl players, not by whether or not the team made the postseason but if the team WON the Super Bowl. This is a franchise that has witnessed the best all-time players at their respective positions in players named Montana, Rice, Lott, Craig, and Young. The 49ers were the Patriots (as we know them today) before there were the Patriots ? playing a higher IQ chess game then the rest of the league and consistently turning coal into gold in every draft. With the ineptitude of the team this past decade, the patience the 49ers have received from their fan base has waned. The onus is on Owner/CEO Jed York to take action and restore a once proud franchise to immediate respectability. Sources close to the front office have stated that Jed is, in his heart, actually a huge 49er fan himself and reckons he holds a strong understanding of the fan base ? as evidenced by his firing of unpopular head coach Mike Singletary. Thus, if Jed York wants to live up to his proclamation of being as good an owner as his uncle (Eddie Debartalo- former owner of the 49ers from 1977-2000 and beloved by the city), this offseason will reveal a lot about the future of the team?s leadership. Jed has to make a bold, headline-making statement and demonstrate that losing will not be tolerated. The solution Jed will need to create and what the 49ers need are painfully obvious; a franchise quarterback and a strong head coach. That being said, the solution is simple: Hire a Super Bowl winning head coach, select a franchise quarterback in the 2011 draft and, (probably the most critical) find a stop-gap veteran quarterback to allow the drafted franchise quarterback ? something the 49ers learned from their Alex Smith mistake ?to learn from the bench. This is THE solution that will enable the 49ers to be competitive in 2011 and beyond. In today?s NFL, the marriage between head coach and quarterback defines each other?s success more so then in any sport combination. Given the order in which these two moves will be made by the 49ers (and the firing of Mike Singletary) we?ll look at the potential list of candidates for the Head Coaching job first and then what options there are at quarterback. Granted, situations and options can change dramatically this offseason as there will potentially be ten teams who could potentially fire their head coach?s creating a bidding war for the top coaching talent. Ultimately the biggest key is who the 49ers pick as their new General Manager. If they want to acquire the top head coaching talent available, they MUST sign an experienced General Manager from OUTSIDE the organization. If the 49ers stay in-house with Trent Baalke, you can scratch off every single big name coach from the list of potential candidates because they won?t come unless there?s an experienced GM in place. That being said, here?s the short list and in order of importance (limited to five) of potential head coaching candidates the 49ers should consider and the likelihood of them actually being hired. 1) Jon Gruden The Monday Night Football color commentator has been often rumored to be making a return to coaching since his departure from Tampa Bay in 2008. Gruden is certainly familiar with the Bay Area given that he started his pro coaching career in San Francisco as a quality control assistant in 1990 and having been a head coach for the Oakland Raiders. Gruden is known as a hard-nosed, detail oriented coach which would provide the structure the 49ers have desperately lacked. Given that Gruden runs the ?West Coast? offense, the selection would bring back fond memories of where the offense was born and the glory it brought. Make no mistake, Gruden is an offensive coach and considered a quarterback guru in football circles, exactly what the 49ers need. Although the solution listed here is the best method to turn the franchise around, hiring a quarterback guru like Gruden does open up other options where the 49ers could bypass drafting a franchise quarterback and instead look at retreads (QB Matt Leinart for example) that Gruden can mold. Ultimately, Gruden will definitely be selective about which general manager he decides to work with given the difficulties he experienced working with ownership while with both the Raiders and Buccaneers. So, as stated earlier, whomever the 49ers choose as their General Manager will be the biggest factor in bringing Gruden to San Francisco. I?d expect the Denver Broncos to be in the bidding for Gruden and could potentially take him away from the 49ers due to Gruden?s affection for Tim Tebow and the fact that the Broncos actually have a quarterback whereas the 49ers don?t. Still, his name will consistently be in the mix and will more than likely be the next 49ers Head Coach. Likelihood= 7/10 2) Bill Cowher The 49ers rallied behind Singletary?s fiery speeches and attitude that only a former pro player could generate. Cowher, a former linebacker himself, holds the same traits but also has the most important thing Singletary didn?t ? experience. In a tumultuous situation, the signing of Cowher would send the clear message that the 49ers will be a stable, winning franchise just as the Steelers were throughout Cowher?s tenure. The trick is going to be able to lure Cowher to the West Coast. Thus, one option would be to offer ?full control? meaning giving him the title of not only head coach as well as general manager. York could very well be hesitant to do this given the last time he gave full control was largely unsuccessful under Mike Nolan. However, Cowher is a 3-4 defensive coach, which is the personnel that the 49ers have in place and could be molded toward Cowher?s style. Sources indicate this scenario, regardless of seamlessness, would be unlikely to ever come to fruition. However, if there is an open window to bring Cowher to San Francisco in a bidding war, he is the best available option for the 49ers. Likelihood = 3/10 3) Jeff Fisher Granted, Fisher is still the Head Coach for the Tennessee Titans so there is some foresight going on here, but with owner Bud Adams? unwavering support for Fisher?s nemesis and starting quarterback Vince Young, the longest tenured NFL coach may end up searching for work elsewhere. If Fisher becomes available (and it?s still a big if) then the 49ers should literally kidnap him. Although not a Super Bowl winning coach, Fisher is highly respected around the league and is known for running a stable organization which is exactly what the 49ers need. Likelihood (given that he isn?t available yet)= 0/10 4) Jim Harbaugh The Stanford head coach since 2006, Harbaugh is originally from the Bay Area, raised in Palo Alto and currently lives there now. Thus, for Harbaugh personally, coaching the 49ers would be an immensely attractive NFL option. The 49er fan base is already familiar with Harbaugh given his coaching success locally over the past few years so the selection would be received warmly. However, without any professional head coaching experience, Harbaugh may not be the coach the 49ers need to find stability. There are those in the NFL that believe Harbaugh has what it takes to be an NFL head coach, as his competitiveness is unparalleled. A further advantage to hiring Harbaugh would be if the 49ers could land the coup de grace on draft day somehow drafting Andrew Luck, who Harbaugh mentored at Stanford. That pairing would be beneficial to both rookies as the trust between them is already there. Also, given that he is a former quarterback himself, his ability to nurture a young franchise quarterback ? whoever that will be - will be a logical fit. If the 49ers don?t land Jon Gruden, look for them to select Harbaugh in a move very reminiscent of Eddie Debartalo taking a new Bill Walsh. Likelihood= 7/10 There are certainly other coaches that could become available that would alter this list. Possible projected available names include John Fox, Tony Sparano, Tom Coughlin, or Gary Kubiak who all could be looking for work very shortly given their current situations. The future scenarios could change drastically as more teams begin to make coaching changes and the NFLPA negotiations could put a squeeze on the amount of options available as well but there should be plenty of options for the 49ers to choose from. Jed York must choose carefully and boldly, as his reign with the 49ers will be defined by the results of this decision.