Owning up

York has clearly put his thumbprint on the 49ers

John York stepped into a leadership role with the 49ers in 1998. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

By B. Duane Cross, SI.com

In the time since Eddie DeBartolo left the San Francisco 49ers, many fans have heard the name John York, but he was like the wind: heard, rarely seen. All that changed after the Niners were embarrassed in the NFC playoffs by Tampa Bay.

York's decision to dismiss head coach Steve Mariucci was swift, which is more than can be said for the search to replace Mooch. "The first words that came out of his mouth were, 'Hi, Steve, sit down,'" Mariucci told the San Francisco Chronicle of his visit with York three days after the loss to the Bucs. "And we went over and sat down at the table, and he said, 'I think we're gonna part ways.'"

When York eventually settled on Oregon State head coach Dennis Erickson -- out of the NFL for four years after four forgettable seasons with Seattle -- the decision raised some eyebrows. But it also clearly rang in the York era.

York has since tried to explain his decision to fire Mariucci, saying it was off-field issues that ultimately led to the coach's dismissal. York told the Chronicle, "That does not mean you can't have arguments between the head coach and the general manager, or discussions and differences between the ownership and the head coach.

"But even with differences and arguments, there needs to be an agreement that we're going to play on the same team, and I don't think Steve was on that team.

"[When Bill Walsh came in as a consultant], there's immediately this friction between Bill and Steve. Steve never came to me and said Bill Walsh shouldn't be here. When Terry [Donahue] became the general manager, all of a sudden the problems with Bill were gone and now there's problems between Steve and Terry somehow that were being created, and I didn't feel that was being created by either Bill or Terry."

Still, it's hard to overlook the success Mariucci had after taking over in 1997: 60-43, including 3-4 in the playoffs. And fans give Mooch a lot of credit for maintaining the course even when the roster was purged for salary-cap reasons. The 49ers were 10-22 in 1999-2000, but were 12-4 in '01 and 10-6 last year.

In any case, York has cast his lot with Erickson. And considering the wealth of talent he had with the Hurricanes, maybe Erickson does have what it takes to manage a pro roster (his 31-33 stint in Seattle not withstanding). York certainly hopes so.