While the departure of Billy Davis was expected and probably for the best, Larry Mac Duff's exit to be an assistant coach at the University of Texas is a blow to the team.
While Mac Duff has presided over four miserable years in the history of the franchise, the special teams have not been a problem under his tenure. In fact, during the Niners' successful 20-year run, kicking and coverage were annually poor. The team had enough talent to mask both problems, but they seemed to always exist. Much was blamed on the SF winds in Candlestick.
However, Andy Lee and Joe Nedney have each put up consecutive good years. Maurice Hicks is explosive as a kick returner and Brandon Williams shows promise as a punt returner. Before him, Arnaz Battle and Jimmy Williams both had very good stints as return men. Terry Jackson and Keith Lewis also both made names for themselves playing under Mac Duff.
It is somewhat ironic that the Niners exhausting search for reasonable special teams finally occurred in the down years of the franchise. Mac Duff leaves San Francisco on the doorstep of success once again. He will not be around to see the sweet fruits of his labor, but he should be recognized as an excellent coach and one of the few bright spots of the past four years.
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