Bell: Jim Harbaugh pushed 49ers to their breaking point

Jim Harbaugh was the first to go.

How fitting.

Not necessarily deserved, mind you.

But fitting.

For all of the speculation swirling about the fate of at least a half-dozen NFL head coaches on the final Sunday of the regular season, this ending was the most predictable.

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Following the good note of a victory against the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers announced that the franchise and coach had mutually agreed to part ways. It was a good thing that they didn't allow this to linger any longer.

It had lingered for long enough.

For way too long.

After three consecutive appearances in the NFC Championship Game under Harbaugh, the 49ers couldn't even make it back to the playoffs this season with a wild-card ticket.

No doubt, the speculation surrounding Harbaugh – which goes way back – was a contributing factor to such a thud of a season.

From the prospects of the headstrong Harbaugh being traded to the Cleveland Browns last year, to internal friction with general manager Trent Baalke, to reports that Harbaugh had lost the locker room, this undoubtedly weighed on the team.

Sure, there were other factors, some of which contain Harbaugh's fingerpints.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick regressed. Aldon Smith was suspended for the first 10 games. Injuries attacked the offensive line and the heart of the defense.

But this Harbaugh thing had to have an effect, for all that is involved with chemistry.

When I asked 49ers co-owner John York earlier this month about his level of concern regarding the drain of the Harbaugh saga, he told me that he didn't sense that the distraction was as real on the inside of the 49ers organization as it is perceived to be on the outside.

Besides, he added, that's no excuse for not doing your job.

Well, it's obvious that the 49ers (8-8) didn't do their jobs well enough because the coach now has a clear path to land at his alma mater, Michigan, which has reportedly offered a six-year, $48 million inducement.

It's also clear that Baalke – who, interestingly, was the person to publicly confirm Michigan's attempt to woo Harbaugh -- won the power struggle.

Hey, it happens.

But it's so strange that a coach can be expendable, less than two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance and a year since a third consecutive NFC title game. The 49ers didn't even finish with a losing season amid their ills this year, but it was time to move on.

Mutually acceptable.

Yeah, he didn't want to be there because they didn't want him.

Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.