The Benefits of a Teacher vs. an Egotist

CHANGES IN 49ER LAND NOW THAT WE HAVE A TEACHER AS HEAD COACH:

Now that camp has begun, we are starting to see feedback on how the 49ers camp is being run differently, and how it's providing some noticeable changes now that Harbaugh is gone.

We've all heard about the 'pace' of play that Jim Tomsula has emphasized, and it has remained a big part of the camp. Alex Boone and Joe Staley have both discussed how they like the faster tempo, and there's been a noticeable improvement in how quickly the offense has gotten to the line of scrimmage (they averaged 28-32 seconds left on the clock during one practice, meaning they were getting to the line in 8-12 seconds). No more frustrating delay of game penalties that were a trademark of the Harbaugh years. So what else has changed? There is a huge focus on Teaching. No longer will Harbaugh be in the huddle during camp calling the plays and trying to turn Kap into an extension of himself.

Nick Moody, who has been one of the early surprises in camp, points to the one thing that was a rallying cry for York/Baalke when Tomsula was hired - teaching. According to Moody, he's gotten more personal instruction which has helped him with some technique improvements that have led to better productivity and confidence.

He said this offseason he has gotten a better handle on basic fundamentals of being a linebacker with personalized individual teaching. He said these things were not harped on him in the past, but he is getting a lot more of that this year. He talked about things as basic as not crossing his feet over, and other such nuances.

Jed York talked about wanting a teacher in the mold of Bill Walsh to replace Harbaugh who was glaringly deficient in this area. It was criticized immediately, but the teaching aspect is an important one. It's unfair to compare anybody to Bill Walsh, but having a coaching staff that can instill those fundamentals is important to the development of a very young and talented team. Look for Tomsula to be a strong candidate for Coach of the Year.

Good post man!

Nice post indeed. Good to get some football talk going and forget about the Aldon disaster. We still have talented players on this roster and hopefully these coaches help them get better every week.

Would certainly be a magical season if we could overcome everything and shock the world!