Chip Kelly has been fired as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the team announced Sunday night.

Speculation that Kelly would be fired had been rampant since Saturday, and the team followed through on dismissing the coach. General manager Trent Baalke was also fired Sunday.

"Despite my feelings for Trent and Chip, I felt the decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary. The performance of this team has not lived up to my expectations or those of our fans, and that is truly disappointing," team CEO Jed York said in a statement. "We all expected to see this team progress and develop as the season went on, but unfortunately that did not happen. That is why now is the time to find a new direction for this team."

Kelly was fired after one season as coach. But the 2016 season was a disaster.

The 49ers finished the season with a 25-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, dropping their record to a dismal 2-14. The 2016 season included a franchise-record 13-game losing streak. Kelly seemed to know the end was coming after he spoke to the media Sunday afternoon following the game against Seattle.

"It's a bottom-line business," Kelly told reporters. "We didn't win enough games."

The 49ers will now be searching to hire their fourth coach in the past four seasons. The decision marks the first time a team has fired head coaches in consecutive years since the 1976-77 49ers. The 49ers will owe Kelly about $15 million for the final three years of his contract after he signed a four-year contract in January.

It's the second time in two seasons Kelly has been fired as head coach. Kelly was fired as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in December 2015.

-- Geoffrey C. Arnold | @geoffreyCarnold