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          NFL Nation

          Who exactly is Jim Tomsula?

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterJan 15, 2015, 04:10 AM
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              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
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          Jim Tomsula

          Age: 46

          Born: Homestead, Pennsylvania

          College: Catawba College, Salisbury, North Carolina

          Nickname: Jimmy T

          Coaching background

          Catawba College: (1989, assistant; 1997; volunteer assistant)

          Woodland Hills (Pennsylvania) High School: (1990, defensive line coach)

          Charleston Southern: (1992-95, assistant)

          NFL Europe: England Monarchs (1998, defensive line coach), Scottish Claymores (1999–2003, defensive line coach), Berlin Thunder (2004–2005, defensive coordinator), Rhein Fire (2006, head coach).

          NFL: San Francisco 49ers (2007–2014, defensive line coach), 49ers (2010, interim coach)

          Back for more: Tomsula was the 49ers' interim coach for the final game of 2010. The 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals 38-7 in the season finale. Jim Harbaugh was hired as the 49ers' head coach shortly thereafter.

          Family: Wife, Julie, daughters Britney and Brooke, and son Bear

          Quick takeaways:

          Why he will work well with general manager Trent Baalke: Well, Tomsula’s the handpicked choice of Baalke and CEO Jed York and, unlike with Harbaugh, the Niners' powers that be already know Tomsula, given that he’s been in the organization since 2007. Yes-man? Puppet? Those are the cynical views. He does, however, know exactly what is expected of him, and being a first-year NFL head coach, he does not have much of a background to fall on, unless you count his days with the Rhein Fire. Plus, there’s that whole continuity thing.

          Why his temperament is better/worse than Harbaugh’s: Players love Tomsula. Just check Vernon Davis’ Twitter timeline. The question, though, is can Tomsula, who has only been a position coach in the NFL save for his one-game run as the Niners’ interim coach in 2010, command respect as the head man without being walked over?

          Why he will work well with Colin Kaepernick: The strength here -- the familiarity factor, or lack therof -- might also be the weakness. Because while Tomsula is revered on the defensive side of the ball, the offensive players do not have the same acquaintance. Harbaugh defended Kaepernick from outside criticism without fail. Will Tomsula do the same, or are those days in Ninerland over? The next offensive coordinator and QB coach Geep Chryst -- if he is retained -- will play a huge role here.

          Tomsula is known as a players' coach. Will he be tough enough with players?: That's the $1.2 billion question (the price of Levi’s Stadium). Again, for all intents and purposes, he has only been a position coach with the Niners and he has to walk a fine line between being a sounding board and being The Man, dealing with daily details and delegating. Stay tuned.