By: Eric He

After weeks of speculation following a chaotic beginning to the offseason with the departure of Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers have connected the first piece of the puzzle.

Long-time defensive line coach Jim Tomsula will take over the reins of the 49ers, a decision that was announced late Wednesday afternoon by the team.

Tomsula is a rather surprising and under-the-radar hire, considering the 49ers had interest in bigger names such as Rex Ryan, Mike Shanahan, Todd Bowles, and Adam Gase. They also passed over well-respected defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who is expected to leave the team with the hiring of Tomsula.

A lot will be riding on Tomsula to clean up the complicated mess he is inheriting, and the expectations will be ramped up. Trying to fill the shoes of Harbaugh — an immensely popular coach who brought immeasurable success to the franchise his first three seasons — will be no easy task for anyone, let alone Tomsula, who has referred to himself as “Jim Nobody From Nowhere.”

No one knows how he will turn out as a head coach, but the general perception is that this is a rather underwhelming hire — after all the frustrations of this past season and all that has unfolded this offseason, the answer to the 49ers’ complicated problems is…”Jim Nobody From Nowhere”?

That nickname, though, is a testament to Tomsula’s dedication to football, working his way to the top. As profiled in this 2011 story in The Press Democrat, Tomsula got his start as unpaid assistant at Catawba College (ever heard of that school?), working four jobs to make ends meet. He caught his break when he was hired to coach oversees at NFL Europe, and then came back to the states in 2007 as a defensive line coach for the 49ers. He has stayed in that position for eight years, save for one game when he served as interim head coach at the end of the 2010 season. So we know his background, we know players respect him, and we know that he’s the longest-tenured coach on the 49ers.

But as the head coach, the man tabbed to resurrect the franchise after the good times came to an abrupt halt thanks to mediocre play on the field and an overzealous owner?

Jed York repeatedly noted the 49ers’ goal to win the Super Bowl “every year,” but he should worry about getting his franchise stabilized before shooting for the stars. He may have his man in Tomsula, but there are many questions to be answered. The team is currently without an offensive and defensive coordinator, with Greg Roman leaving for Buffalo and Fangio likely pursuing other opportunities.

With Tomsula specializing in defense, hiring a good offensive coordinator is a must, particularly considering the offense sputtered mightily last season. Colin Kaepernick looked lost way too often last season for a quarterback with more postseason road wins than Joe Montana and Steve Young. Frank Gore is aging, and is no lock to return. Vernon Davis was almost invisible, and the offense seemed to stray away from the run game, the 49ers’ bread and butter. Finding a coach who can solve the offensive woes will do wonders for Tomsula.

The coming days will be pivotal as the 49ers shore up their vacancies on the coaching staff. The coming weeks and months will be just as important, because the 49ers need to re-assess and put together a formidable roster if they have any hope of contending right away in the Tomsula era. The NFC West is a rugged division — the Seahawks and Cardinals are playoff teams, and the Rams are not far off from being a presence. The 49ers trended backwards in 2014, and now the ball is in Tomsula’s hands to right the ship and become a “Jim Somebody From Somewhere.”