Former 49ers QB Jeff Garcia says he's the leader San Francisco needs as its head coach

On Monday, San Francisco 49ers owner/CEO Jed York began to clean house with the firing of general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly, who lasted just one year at the helm.

Top candidates for the position include Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Seahawks assistant head coach/OL coach Tom Cable, among others. Consider former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia's hat now in the ring as well.

Garcia first announced his interest in the 49ers vacancy in a since-deleted tweet after word spread about Kelly and Baalke. On Wednesday he appeared on KNBR 1050 where he expanded on his credentials and what he brings to the table. Here's a transcript of select portions via CSN Bay Area with audio of the full interview below as well.

“Let’s be honest with each other,” Garcia said. “As much as I believe and feel that I am capable of leading a team, people don’t want you to be able to take the shortcut. They want you to go through the process. They want you to start as the assistant. They want you to work your way up to the coordinator. They want you to work your way into that head coach position.”

“I’ll tell you what, the 17 years of professional football experience that I have had in my back pocket, and the years of growing up around a father who was a head coach, and just being around the game, have prepared me to be the leader of a football team. And that’s what this team needs; they need a leader of the football team. They need somebody who is gonna come in and is not gonna take any trash; not gonna take any instability as far as the personality is concerned, and understand that this has to be about the team. It can’t be about your individual success, it can’t be about your individual contract, it’s gotta be about the team."

“Yes, there is a business side to professional sports,” Garcia added. “Unfortunately or fortunately, that’s something for the GM and his people to handle. I’m about the football side and I’m about the team concept. I’m about doing whatever is best for this team, from the scheme that we run, to the players that are gonna run it, to the coaches that I have on the staff.”