49ers coach Jim Tomsula says front office support continues despite team’s record

Jim Tomsula said Monday he plans to be the 49ers’ coach next season and has heard nothing but support from the team’s front office.

“Yeah, I’m going to coach until somebody tells me I’m not,” he said, adding he has frequent interactions with the team’s executives.

“The biggest thing I get asked is, ‘Can we help?’ ” he said. “ ‘Is there anything we can get for you?’ ‘Do you need anything?’ That’s what I get asked constantly.”

Each of the 49ers’ 11 losses this season has had a signature issue, from interceptions in a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 to a sleepy start in a loss to the woebegone Cleveland Browns in Week 14. In Sunday’s 32-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, the 49ers were called for seven defensive penalties – by seven different players – for neutral-zone infractions or offside.

Tomsula, who coached the 49ers’ defensive line for eight seasons, said the Lions were savvy with their snap counts. But he reiterated the 49ers had no excuse for the errors. San Francisco was penalized 11 times for 65 yards.

“I don’t have any excuse,” he said. “Should not be.”

Tomsula said he hasn’t had any specific conversations with general manager Trent Baalke about next season. But he said the young players who presumably will comprise the core of future rosters have taken on bigger roles in recent weeks, and he insisted “there’s been a lot of growth” since the start of the season.

“But we’re in a performance-based businesss,” he said. “We have four wins.”

On Sunday, the 49ers started three rookies – offensive tackle Trent Brown, running back Jarryd Hayne and safety Jaquiski Tartt – with others such as defensive lineman Arik Armstead (Pleasant Grove High School), their first-round pick, logging significant minutes.

He said that group continues to jell and improve, but that development has yet to translate into wins.

“When you’re a coach – boom! – the minute you sign the contract, the clock starts,” he said. “We’re fine with that. We’ll just keep working. We’ll just work. ”

Armstead OK – Tomsula said Armstead suffered a leg bruise late in Sunday’s game but X-rays were negative.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 1:01 PM with the headline "49ers coach Jim Tomsula says front office support continues despite team’s record."