In the last 5 years, the Sharks, Warriors, 49ers, and the Giants have made the playoffs a total of 11 times. This is the most successful and consistent period that the 4 teams have gone through collectively. one thing that all these teams have experienced in the recent past, is a change at the head coach position. The 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh in 2011, the Giants hired Bruce Bochy in 2007, the Sharks hired Todd McLellan in 2008, and the Warriors hired Mark Jackson in 2011. Each of these coaches have received tremendous praise from critics, journalists, and the media in general, all across the country. Apart from the Sharks, none of these teams had much consistency prior to the hiring. So which of these coaches has proved to be the best?

Bruce Bochy

Let’s start with the coach that would appear to have the best case on paper. Bruce Bochy not only brought the first World Series title to the city, but also the second. These Giants have won 2 titles in the last 4 years. Any team that wins titles at that rate should be considered elite. One positive that Bruce Bochy has, is the fact that he has to rally his team through the brutal 162 game regular seasons, as well as the nail-biting playoffs in October. The Giants went 186-138 in the years that they won the World Series under Bochy. However, in the other 5 seasons, they went 393-417, which is very mediocre. In addition to this, many believe that Hunter Pence and the other players should be the ones being ascribed for rallying around each other for coming back from being down in the NLDS and the NLCS. Bruce Bochy, arguably, did not have much of a role in the playoff run of 2012.

Todd McLellan

Todd McLellan isn’t talked about very much. He isn’t known for being particularly bombastic, and he isn’t given very much praise from the media. However, he has made the playoffs each of the 5 years he has been in San Jose, and he has also taken the Sharks to two Western Conference Finals. On top of that, he has an overall record of 220-106-48 as a head coach, as well as a Stanley Cup Title as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings. The numbers speak for themselves, Todd McLellan has managed to some excellent things as the head coach for the San Jose Sharks. The only thing missing, is a Stanley Cup for the Bay Area. The wonderful fan base in San Jose has been longing for a Stanley Cup title ever since the team’s creation in 1991. The Sharks have made the playoffs nine straight seasons as of today, and they continue to contend for the title year in and year out. If Todd McLellan can be the one to bring that title to the Bay, he will undoubtedly be remembered for a very long time.

Mark Jackson

Next, let’s talk about Mark Jackson. The name may seem familiar to those who watched the NBA back in the early 90s. Mark Jackson was drafted 18th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He went on later that season to win the Rookie of the Year award. Now this may not appear to have any relation to his coaching ability, but I believe Mark Jackson’s success as a coach is directly related to his experience as a player. The young Warrior players can relate to the Ex-NBA All Star, because he has been in their shoes before. In the two seasons he has coached, he is 70-78, taking the Dubs to the Conference Semifinals in his second year as their coach. While this may not seem very impressive on paper, let’s look at where the Warriors were when Jackson took over. When Mark Jackson took the head coach position, the Warriors had only been to 3 playoffs since 1990. They had faithful fans, in a beautiful city, but the organization had been struggling. Especially after the bold trade of Monte Ellis, many had seemed to lose faith in the Warriors. In the 2012-2013, the Warriors managed to make the playoffs, upset the 3rd seed Denver Nuggets, and nearly pull off another upset against the veteran San Antonio Spurs. This year, the Warriors are considered among the best teams in the NBA. Mark Jackson has changed the Warriors culture as an organization.

Jim Harbaugh

Finally, the most popular coach in the Bay, Jim Harbaugh. There is something about the guy, that makes you love him. Niner fans love him, the players love him, and the media loves him. The only people that don’t love him are people outside the Bay Area. He has done something similar to Mark Jackson. As a former player, he can relate to his players a lot better than most coaches can. He has also brought a declining franchise back from the dead. The days of Joe Montana and Steve Young were over, and the 49ers hadn’t made the playoffs in over 8 years when Jim Harbaugh showed up. He found the fire in a quarterback that most people were calling a total bust. Alex Smith was drafted number 1 overall, most notably over Aaron Rodgers, and he hadn’t been able to do anything with the 49ers. Now he is considered among the top 10 in the NFL, which many credit to Harbaugh. He has taken his team to the playoffs each of the three years he has been their head coach, two conference championship games, and one super bowl. He is also responsible for the outbreak of superstar quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as well as the drafting of the excellent pass-rusher Aldon Smith. It is amazing what he has done to this organization. The only thing he is missing, is a super bowl title itself.

Bob Melvin

I decided to sneak this one in. I am not an Athletics fan, but I still watch some of their games, and I believe that credit should be given when it is due. The Oakland Athletics are always overlooked. Most “expert” analysis predicted that the A’s would finish 3rd or 4th in the AL West. They were definitely wrong. Oakland isn’t exactly an attractive place to spend your baseball career from the perspective of a talented player. They would much rather play in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, or any other big market cities. After taking over 2/3 through the 2011 season, Bob Melvin has managed to pull together a competitive team in the last 2 years, both making the playoffs. He has a total record of 237-186, as the manager for the Athletics, as well as a Manager of the Year award in 2012, and a 3rd place finish in 2013’s Manager of the Year voting. Especially after the Giants won the World Series, it became more and more obvious that the Giants were the Bay’s team. However, the Athletics have not gone away, and they are not going anywhere. Bob Melvin, with the limited resources he has, has done an excellent job with his team.

So overall, I see a lot of positives. Almost as if the Bay Area is in a “golden age” of sports. Everything seems to be going right. Today, all four of these teams are viable playoff contenders. Another thing to keep in mind, is that these coaches have assisted in the creation of so many superstars in the Bay Area. Aldon Smith, Navorro Bowman, Michael Crabtree, Colin Kaepernick, Stephen Curry, David Lee, Tomas Hertl, Logan Couture, Patrick Marleau, Buster Posy, the list goes on, and on, and on. So who is the best? To be honest, I can’t say. It is unfair to single one as the best. So I am going to leave that open.

Anyways, what do you think? What’s your opinion? Tweet at me @thebayssports, I’ll be publishing my favorite responses here.