The divorce between Jim Harbaugh and 49ers CEO Jed York was ugly. Harbaugh was fired as head coach in 2014, but dealt with rumors of his departure that entire season, with little support from York.
Now three years later, York told Sports Illustrated’s Peter King he would love to sit down with Harbaugh.
“I’d love to get together,” York said. “And I think enough time has kind of passed where you can let whatever issues were there be buried and just truly be thankful for three great years when nobody expected us, certainly in 2011, to beat the Saints the way we did, to get close and, you know, be two muffed punts away from going to a Super Bowl in [2011].
“And just all the things that happened, and I’d love to sit down with Jim,” he said. “Not in front of cameras, not in front of anybody else, but just share an evening with him and truly say ’Thank you,’ and wish him the best of luck.”
Since firing Harbaugh, the 49ers ended up cleaning house after two disastrous seasons. Both Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly were fired after one season each. York hired John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan in the latest rebuilding effort.
Harbaugh, meanwhile, has enjoyed great success as the University of Michigan coach. He went 10-3 in each season and Michigan made the Orange Bowl last year.
Under Harbaugh, the 49ers went to three NFC Championship games in his four seasons and made the Super Bowl in 2012.
York also told King he didn’t have any regrets moving on from Harbaugh.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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