Steve Mariucci Canned

TxDoc · January 16, 2003

In the final act of a yearlong drama surrounding the Bay Area's most successful and high-profile sports franchise and its charismatic and popular coach, the 49ers fired Steve Mariucci on Wednesday, six years to the day after it hired him as the heir to the prestigious throne.

Team owner Dr. John York, the husband of Denise DeBartolo and brother-in-law of former owner Ed DeBartolo, said in a conference call that "philosophical" issues prevented him from keeping Mariucci as coach, citing obstacles both "major and minor" in allowing Mariucci to coach the last year of his contract.

The move closes a classic power struggle at a franchise known for its dramatic coaching and personnel issues, and means Mariucci is the first coach since 1978 to leave San Francisco without winning a Super Bowl. The high-stakes theater was evident in Mariucci's departure from team headquarters Wednesday afternoon -- in a black van with curtains behind the driver.

It was widely perceived that Mariucci, hired by the Carmen Policy-Dwight Clark regime in 1997, was not the favored choice of general manager Terry Donahue and consultant Bill Walsh, who rejoined the team in 1999. York alluded to that rift in explaining the firing.

"I didn't think it was best to have a lame duck coach," York said. "I thought it best to have a coach we were fully committed to. There was enough noise about Steve Mariucci as our head coach, about Steve vs. Bill, about Steve vs. Terry Donahue, about whether or not we love Steve. There was too much noise.

"You can't have all that and move the team along."

Donahue, in a noon press conference at team headquarters, said the termination was not performance-related. Instead, Donahue said, Mariucci's desire for more power in the organization -- a request that dates to last year, he said -- proved a problem. In addition, last February's very public episode when Mariucci met with ownership of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers about a job was a strain that never entirely left the organization's thinking.

"I think this is a situation in which a relationship eroded over a period of time," Donahue said. "I think Steve and John have a relationship, but I think it has been strained over a period of time from last year . . . also, some of the things that arose out of the Tampa Bay issue.

"Also, it was stated very directly and plainly that Steve would like to have his role increased with the 49ers. I think when you go through all those things, that eventually wears on a relationship."

Said York: "(The Tampa Bay issue) certainly was something I believed both of us have gotten over, but I won't say either one of us had forgotten it."

Mariucci was told of his termination by York in a 90-minute morning meeting in Mariucci's office, although one source said Mariucci learned of the axing on television, even before York came to the building. Mariucci did not speak to local reporters, and scheduled a press conference for today. He did, however, give an interview to ESPN.com Wednesday afternoon, stating a contrary view to the 49ers' public statements about his desire for more power, specifically the title of vice president of football operations.

"I'm surprised to listen and learn that (purported request for more power and the title of director of football operations) was an issue at all," Mariucci told the Web site. "I guess I'm shocked to hear that part of it."

Mariucci's new agent, Gary O'Hagan, denied ever making that demand in his only meeting with York -- in St. Louis on Dec. 30, the day of the 49ers-Rams game -- and instead said it was the 49ers who raised that issue. York grew testy when asked which side was telling the truth.

"If this is going to turn into a 'we said, they said,' I'm not interested in getting into that," York said. "I know what Steve said last year, I know what Steve's agent said this year, and I didn't bring it up."

Mariucci said to ESPN.com: "I'm just surprised and saddened -- I didn't see it coming. Really, I didn't. I have a lot of admiration for this place, and I've invested a lot here. So, sure, I wanted to stay and finish what we had set out to do."

There had been widespread speculation that the 49ers might try to work out a compensation package with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are searching for a head coach and are believed to be interested in Mariucci. Last year, the Raiders received four draft picks and $8 million cash from Tampa Bay in exchange for releasing coach Jon Gruden from the final year of his contract. But any thought of the 49ers swinging a similar deal were squashed by the NFL on Tuesday, when the league issued a moratorium on such trades.

Donahue said the moratorium, which extends to March 31, spiked any consideration of the 49ers gaining compensation for releasing Mariucci from his contract.

The sequence of events began Monday night, when Mariucci and York, who was in Youngstown, Ohio, had a phone conversation that left York feeling a change was necessary. He phoned Donahue at home around 9:30 p.m. to inform him of the conversation, and Donahue said York "expressed to me some very strong concerns" about keeping Mariucci.

That the relationship soured is not a surprise to those close to Mariucci, who said the coach was never sure of his relationship with his owner after the Tampa Bay incident last February. Mariucci guided the 49ers to the NFC West title and a second consecutive playoff berth this year despite that cloud, and then decided he would like to coach through the 2003 season even without an extension.

But York's mind was made up, the owner said, even before Mariucci made a face-to-face plea in their Wednesday morning meeting. It was York's belief that Mariucci's desire for more power in personnel issues would interfere with York's preferred flow chart for the team -- with Donahue as general manager, Walsh as consultant and John McVay as vice president/director of football operations.

"It was clear to me that the way Steve saw this organization was clearly different from how I did," York said. "(Mariucci's preference for more power) was brought up last year when Steve asked for an extension. He asked for a number of areas of control outside his head coaching role.

"And this year, when I met Gary O'Hagan for the first time in St. Louis, one of the things Gary said is that Steve would like to be V.P. of football operations when and if John McVay retired."

Asked if Mariucci's desire would infringe on his responsibilities as general manager, Donahue answered: "I'm assuming it would have."

This led to the thought that Mariucci had lost a power play, when he, in essence, asked York to choose between himself and the Donahue-Walsh faction. Donahue continued to deny, however, that he gave anything less than full support to the coach.

"I think Steve Mariucci received as much support and cooperation as any coach could ever want," Donahue said. "I do not feel at all like we were in a position of not supporting our coach. I think that is folly."

Speculation as to Mariucci's successor began immediately, and York said he would consider both an internal hire -- defensive coordinator Jim Mora is considered a head coaching candidate -- and an African American hire. Already, former Stanford and Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green told ESPN, for whom he works, that he would like to be considered.

"I've always considered myself part of the 49er family," Green said. "I have some interest in that job."

Mariucci, 47, leaves with a 57-39 regular season record, and with four playoff appearances in six years. He earned $2.1 million last year, and was due to earn $2.2 million next year. York said Mariucci would be paid according to a clause in his contract, though KGO radio broadcaster Gary Plummer said that payment would only be $733,000, or one-third of Mariucci's 2003 salary. The money was due Mariucci after York, in one of his first moves on the job in 1999, signed Mariucci to a five-year contract extension.

Predictably, players were saddened by the news, as Mariucci's gregarious style and outgoing personality made him popular. Offensive lineman Dave Fiore was emotional in discussing the move.

"It's hard to take," Fiore said. "Look at all the things he's done this year, winning the West and taking us to the playoffs. There are so many questions. . . . He's a great guy and a great coach.

"His overall persona has brought a lot, both on and off the field, things like attitude and respect. That's what makes this organization stand out."

York and Mariucci shook hands and embraced at the end of the meeting, around 11:30 a.m. -- and York said both a "business obligation" and his emotional fatigue prevented him from joining Donahue at the noon press conference.

"This is a difficult day," York said. "Steve has been a very good, a great coach for us. I think you all know we've supported him all four years. We were supportive during our two years of not winning, and we've been supportive the last two years.

"Steve's been a good friend, we've done things together, but this is something I thought was necessary to move things forward."

Import Hater · January 16, 2003

Personally, I'm glad he's gone. He's never striked me as being he best coach they could have got ever since he got there. Not that Sieffert before him was that much better. He just rode out the team that Walsh built. Hopefully Denny Green takes over.

Rob