49ers Playing Hardball with Harbaugh?

[LT Profits]

A source tells CSN Bay Area that the 49ers won't pay coach Jim Harbaugh "like a Super Bowl winning-coach" until he wins the Super Bowl.

According to reporter Matt Maiocco, Harbaugh's long-term future with the 49ers "remains uncertain." If the source's report is true, it's a baffling hardball stance from a team that's reached three straight NFC Championship Games under its prodigy head coach. The news comes on the heels of Profootballtalk's report that Harbaugh was nearly traded to the Browns. The 49ers vehemently denied the report, but the Browns made no such effort.

[gryfyn1]

Its really baffling, Harbaugh is clearly a top coach, even the incompetent Browns front office figured that out.

And given that all teams have a narrow window to money to spend on their roster spending on coaching staff is the one area a team can spend what ever they want to assemble the best possible staff. While coaching may make only a small difference in a league like the NFL where differences are often small it can be important to get any edge possible.

[Grits n' Gravy]

I'm sure he is a royal pain in the ass to deal with and when they go 8-8 sometime in the next few seasons I don't think players will want to play for him.

[EmpireMaker]

If the 49ers are stupid enough to let him go or trade him, I have a feelings that the Browns (yes, the lowly Browns) will make them sorry they did.

[Mitchell88]

I am not a fan of Harbaugh at all, don't like him think he is arrogant. There is no denying that he is a great coach though. If they let him go it will be a mistake

[LT Profits]

49ers won't pay coach Jim Harbaugh "like a Super Bowl winning-coach" until he wins the Super Bowl.

Maybe this is most telling? Maybe he they feel he can't get them over that hump? My guess is he is asking for the kind of money Super Bowl winning coaches have gotten. I don't know though, I personally think he is a great coach that WILL win a Super Bowl in the next few years if the Niners keep him.

[cash$bro91]

Browns were trying a new strategy after having to pay so much in dead money to fired coaches and executives.

[Robber]

Ridiculous

He's proven himself very well

[EmpireMaker]

Jim Harbaugh is one of the top 5 coaches in the NFL IMO, he should be paid like it. They can let him go and hire the Browns Ex-coach at a discount.

[ProPicker713]

Jim Harbaugh is one of the top 5 coaches in the NFL IMO, he should be paid like it. They can let him go and hire the Browns Ex-coach at a discount.

Top 5? more like top 3, guy been leading the 9ers to big playoff games.

[Wrigley]

He has to be hard for the owner to deal with but they would have been foolish to trade him

[BigSpoon]

Pretty insane that they don't want to pay the man. At least 25 other teams would if he was on the open market.

[Mitchell88]

What doesn't make the most sense to me is what the other options are out there. there is no one that is a good fit or even a good coach to get for the 9ers

[Otters27]

I think next year will be 49ers year to win the super bowl. They missed their chance this year. They would have beat the broncos