placeholder image

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


Gary Plummer: 49ers new regime hires came from above Jed York

Aug 18, 2017 at 7:30 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Gary Plummer joined the "Taylor Price Talk" podcast this week to share his thoughts on the course of the franchise, which he very much approves of. Following some frustrating seasons, Plummer feels that the 49ers are finally headed in the right direction.

During the interview, Plummer didn't mince words in regards to his feelings toward 49ers CEO Jed York. While he had some negative comments to make, he feels that York got the most recent regime hires right. He felt that new 49ers general manager John Lynch was a "damn good" hire and believes his football background will be an asset for the franchise's ability to improve.

Plummer also likes the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as the team's new head coach. He loves that Shanahan, who is the son of former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan, was around during the franchise's last championship run. He was 15 years old when the 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX – a team that Plummer was a part of.

Plummer said that he remembers the former ball boy for the team. The younger Shanahan was a "sponge" and soaked up knowledge during his early years with the 49ers when other kids would have just been running around and having fun.

"He wasn't just running around, having fun," Plummer explained. "He was paying attention to stuff. When you grow up around greatness, like he did, I think that's your expectation, not only for yourself but your staff and for your players."

The former 49ers linebacker also shared some information he has heard regarding the hiring process of Lynch and Shanahan.


"I'm going to drop a little bombshell on you right here," Plummer said. "I've heard that this hire was not the hire of Jed York. I heard that it came from a much higher source than Jed York and you might think to yourself, 'Woah, what's higher than Jed York?' How about Jed York's mother (Denise DeBartolo York)?

"I'm just telling you that's what I've heard and sources have said she has been embarrassed. Now, remember, this is a woman who grew up with her father (Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr.) owning the Pittsburgh Penguins and I think she loved hockey and she was involved in – I think they might have even won the Stanley Cup when they were there in terms of ownership. But seeing that and seeing her brother (Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr.) win championship after championship after championship, winning is in her blood."

It's not inconceivable to believe that Denise DeBartolo York, who is the principal owner of the 49ers, was in some way involved in the final decision to hire Lynch and Shanahan. What Plummer appears to be suggesting, according to what he has heard, is that Jed didn't have the final say.

It has been well-reported that Jed, along with EVP of football operations Paraag Marathe, spearheaded the interview process with head coach candidates. There were no reports that Jed's mother was that ingrained in the process. In fact, Lynch traveled with York and Marathe – in secret – to the group's interview with Shanahan in Atlanta after staying overnight at the 49ers CEO's home. Reports also stated that it was Shanahan who put Lynch on York and Marathe's radar.

There has been no real evidence to suggest that Denise was the one calling the shots in the hiring process but Plummer insists that it wasn't Jed's call.

"I believe that this hire wasn't by Jed York," Plummer continued. "That it was by Denise and Denise isn't going to want any of the credit because she's not that kind of person and she knows that her son loves that kind of credit. And I'm sure, being a good mom, she'll let him have it."

You can listen to the entire interview with Plummer on the "Taylor Price Talk" podcast.

Of course, we know that Denise was not completely uninvolved in the process. In January, Mike Silver of NFL Network reported that Denise interviewed Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Tom Cable on the phone for about an hour after his name surfaced as a legitimate candidate for the 49ers' head coach job. According to Silver, Cable pulled out of the running because he became convinced the 49ers had informally offered the job to Shanahan and that the then-Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator planned to accept – which he did following Super Bowl LI.


Regardless of how the hiring process was managed, Lynch and Shanahan are now the men in charge of turning the 49ers franchise around and, so far, they appear to have a good grasp on what needs to be done. By all accounts, York, Lynch, and Shanahan appear to get along wonderfully and the chemistry within the organization seems stronger than it has been in a long time. At this point, it doesn't really matter how the trio got there.

Plummer spent 12 seasons in the NFL and four seasons (1994-1997) with the 49ers. He was signed by the 49ers prior to the 1994 season after spending the previous eight seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Plummer retired following the 1997 season with 1,029 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and six interceptions over his career.

Plummer spent the next 13 years as a color analyst for KNBR during 49ers game broadcasts but was fired in 2011 after making some questionable comments and being openly critical of the team on-air.



Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

5 things to know about new 49ers QB Joshua Dobbs

By Kirk Larrabee
2 hrs

Joshua Dobbs became the latest addition to the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback room after agreeing to a one-year contract with the team on Monday. Dobbs, 28, has 2,920 passing yards in 21 games (14 starts) with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in seven NFL seasons. He also has 91 carries for 496 yards and six rushing touchdowns and a 3-11 record overall as a starter. Dobbs comes to 49ers as a well-traveled NFL veteran who most recently was with the Minnesota Vikings. But Dobbs isn't any ordinary NFL quarterback. Let's take a look at what to know about him as he begins his time with the 49ers. The Joshua Dobbs "world tour" reaches San Francisco The 49ers are Dobbs' eighth team since joining the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick of


placeholder image

5 things to know about new 49ers DE Yetur Gross-Matos

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 11

The 49ers added some depth to the defensive end position Monday, agreeing to terms with former Carolina Panthers edge defender Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos, who joined the Panthers as a second-round draft selection out of Penn State in 2020, agreed to a two-year deal worth as much as $18 million, according to reports. Gross-Matos, 26, became the second defensive end the 49ers came to terms with on Monday, joining veteran Leonard Floyd, who agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal earlier in the day. In Gross-Matos, the 49ers will be adding a player who may be starting to realize his potential after some ups and downs over his first three seasons with the Panthers. Here are


placeholder image

Baldy: New 49ers DE Leonard Floyd an 'upgrade on every level'

By David Bonilla
Mar 12

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to terms with two defensive ends over the past 24 hours. They inked Leonard Floyd to a two-year, $20 million deal and Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year, $18 million deal. Floyd stands out as the marquee signing, and NFL analyst Brian Baldinger views his arrival as a substantial improvement over the previous options opposite Nick Bosa. Speaking on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game on Tuesday morning, Baldinger shared his insights, stating, "It's a big upgrade over [DE] Clelin Ferrell and [DE] Chase Young. You know, it's been a while since they've had a guy that could win


placeholder image

5 things to know about new 49ers DT Jordan Elliott

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 12

Jordan Elliott became one of the newest members of the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday as the team continues a significant overhaul of its defensive line. Elliott (6-4, 303) was the third defensive lineman to agree to terms with the 49ers since the start of the NFL's "legal tampering period" on Monday, joining defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. The 26-year-old defensive tackle is heading into his fifth NFL season after spending the first four years of his professional career with the Cleveland Browns, for whom he totaled 98 tackles,


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone