The San Francisco 49ers made two significant moves on Friday for the stability of their future. CEO Jed York announced on his Twitter that general manager Trent Baalke has received a contract extension through 2016. Also, York announced that Gideon Yu has been promoted to team president.
“This is a wonderful day for Trent, his family and the 49ers organization,” said York. “Without question Trent has distinguished himself as the man to direct our football operations for years to come. Since taking over as General Manager last January, we have made great strides on the football field under Trent’s leadership. It gives me great pleasure to watch Trent and Jim work arm-in-arm with the common goal of leading the 49ers to championships.”
“I would like to thank Jed, and the York family, for this great opportunity and show of support,” said Baalke of the three-year extension. “In addition, I would like to thank Coach Harbaugh, as well as our coaches, players, scouts, and entire football operations staff for their hard work and dedication this season. The success we experienced on the field was a direct result of their efforts. It is a privilege to work for the 49ers organization, alongside this group, as we continue our pursuit of championships.”
In Baalke's first full season as the team's general manager (eighth season with the team), he helped build a team that won the division and was one win away from the Super Bowl. He saw major contributions from most of the draft picks and in free agency, was able to bring in key players like safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Carlos Rogers to lead the team into defensive dominance.
Baalke has been scouting during the entire offseason and continues to be heavily involved in the team's development. During the season, Baalke is frequently seen on the field during practices and gameday ensuring that every player is doing their job.
Yu's promotion isn't a surprise either. Yu had served as the team's chief strategy officer this past season, being very instrumental in the success of the team's Santa Clara stadium plans. Earlier this month, Yu was announced as a new co-owner of the team. Prior to joining the 49ers, Yu had worked as the CFO of Facebook and YouTube.
"Gideon brings us a truly unique set of experiences and talents, and he will be a guiding force in our drive to continue the winning tradition of this franchise," said York. "He's both a visionary and the 'go-to' guy who can lead us through the enormous opportunities ahead such as, the stadium construction, expansion of our brand and its businesses, and positioning the franchise for the future. We have more to do now than ever before, and Gideon is the right person to get the job done.”
“My whole career has led to this point,” said Yu. “My job here is the perfect mix of my passions for football, entrepreneurship, business management and technology. Being at my favorite team in my favorite sport is a dream come true. We all look forward to winning with class both on and off the football field.”
York had served as the team's CEO and president this past season, but now it looks like his efforts will be solely focused on his position as CEO.
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