Trent Baalke, a veteran of 20-plus years in the NFL, was hired as the team's director of player personnel on Feb. 4, 2020.
Prior to arriving in Jacksonville, Baalke spent 12 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (2005-16), including six seasons as the team's general manager from 2011-16. From 2017-19, Baalke worked for the NFL as a football operations consultant.
In Baalke's six years as general manager with the 49ers, San Francisco totaled a 51-44 record, earning three consecutive NFC Championship game appearances from 2011-13. In 2011, Baalke earned NFL Executive of the Year as selected by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers of America after helping transform a 6-10 team into a 13-3 team in his first season as general manager. During Baalke's tenure overseeing all player acquisitions, beginning as the team's vice president of player personnel, the 49ers produced 24 All-Pro selections and 35 Pro Bowl nods.
In Baalke's second year as the general manager (2012), the 49ers won the NFC West title with a 11-4-1 record and earned a trip to Super Bowl XLVII. San Francisco tied with New England for the league's most Pro Bowlers (eight) that season, including RB Frank Gore, OL Joe Staley and LB Patrick Willis.
Baalke initially joined the 49ers as a Western regional scout prior to being promoted to director of player personnel in 2007. He spent four years with Washington where he served as a college scouting coordinator in his final season after he was Washington's national scout from 2001-03. Baalke started his NFL career as a personnel scout with the New York Jets from 1998-2000.
Prior to his NFL career, Baalke worked as a defensive line and strength and conditioning coach at South Dakota State from 1990-95 before working as the athletic director at Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D. in 1996 and 1997. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Dakota State in 1989 and helped the team finish with a 14-0 record and Division II National Championship in 1990.
The Rosendale, Wis. native earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education at Bemidji State (Minn.) where he played outside linebacker and was an All-Northern Sun Conference and All-Midwest Region honoree. He and his wife, Beth, have two daughters, Katy and Cassie.
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