San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers After interviewing eight candidates, the San Francisco have finally found their man to run the offense. Jimmy Raye agreed to terms with the 49ers on Friday to become the club's seventh offensive coordinator in seven seasons.

Raye had spent the last three seasons as the New York Jets running back coach. The 62-year old Raye actually started his coaching career with these same 49ers when he was the receivers coach back in 1977. Now he brings back 32 years of experience. During his more than three decades in the NFL, Raye has been a coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay, New England, Kansas City, Washington and Oakland, where he also was the Raiders' assistant head coach in 2004-05 under Norv Turner.

Raye was an unlikely choice, considering all the big names that interview for the position. However coach Mike Singletary is extremely
pleased.

"It certainly took longer than we would have liked it to, but sometimes good things come to those who wait," Singletary said. "The thing I didn't want to do was go ahead and make a knee-jerk decision and select someone before I thought we had our guy."

Raye will be taking over for the fired Mike Martz. The 49ers offense finished last overall in the NFL in 2005 and 2007 under coach Mike Nolan, but Martz raised it to a level of respectability in 2008.

Ray admits that, aside from running back Frank Gore, he does not know a lot about the Niners offense, but he does know the kind of attitude he wants to instill in San Francisco.

"The teams that I've been the leader of as a coordinator have been tough, physical football teams that run the ball and have a physicality about them," Raye said. "The overriding factor is that we want to be tough-minded physically and emotionally."