NEW ORLEANS — The world's next great football coach has been on a roll this week, speaking of incorporating an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, building a beaver dam, lacking a "tweeter," living a childhood that was the opposite of the song Cat's in the Cradle and planning his 5-month-old son's future as a football star.
Yes, Jim Harbaugh is out there.
But perhaps that is part of his genius.
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As a football coach, Harbaugh is going places few have gone.
In his first two seasons as coach of the 49ers, the former quarterback has gone to two NFC championship games and now a Super Bowl on Sunday with a team that won six games the season before his arrival.
"Given where he is today, you have to start discussing him as being in the same category as Bill Walsh," said 49ers running backs coach Tom Rathman, who played for Walsh.
Harbaugh has taken much from Walsh, with whom he met frequently before Walsh's death in 2007. But the former first-round pick of the Bears has taken much from many. It is his flexibility, and his inability to be defined, that separates him.
"Jim has seen a lot of football," 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "He has done it a lot of ways. He understands there is no one way you have to do things to be successful."
Whereas most coaches are rigid and slaves to their routines, Harbaugh has no qualms about trying something different. Change is not his enemy.
He frequently will alter the team's practice schedule, or decide to practice inside instead of outside for no apparent reason other than to get the attention of his team.
On a typical play call sheet for the 49ers offense are nearly 400 plays. That's about 300 more than typical for most teams.
Harbaugh is ready for anything.
And he frequently will do what least is expected.
"Last year when everybody was in the spread, he was going two tight ends, two running backs, one wideout," said Fox analyst Tim Ryan, a former Bears teammate of Harbaugh's. "He's willing to change it up and do different things."
During the regular season the 49ers used "22" personnel, which features one wideout, on 237 snaps. That was most in the NFL, according to one team's scouting report, with the Chargers next at 151.
And the 49ers passed out of that setup 67 times.
Harbaugh's 49ers ran the ball more than all but six teams. And they did it in unpredictable ways.
"They have by far the most variety in their run game of any team in the league," Ryan said. "It's not even close."
Harbaugh may be part wizard, but he also is part gym rat.
"He loves being on a team," said Geep Chryst, who coached Harbaugh with the Bears and Chargers and now is his quarterbacks coach. "He just happens to be the coach. He loves being in the chow hall, for instance, sitting down with different guys, whether they are practice squad guys or stars."
