Bemidji State University alumnus Trent Baalke was named the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers late Tuesday night.
A 1986 graduate of Bemidji State University, Baalke attended BSU from 1982-86 and played a variety of positions for the Beaver football team during that time.
He had 169 tackles during his playing career and was named to the All-Northern Intercollegiate Conference twice.
Under head coach John Peterson, the Rosendale, Wis. native and the Beavers were 21-20-1 and finished as high as third in the NIC (1984 and 1985).
"It is an honor to be named the General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers, a franchise with a history filled by some of the game's greatest players, coaches and executives." said Baalke. I look at this role as one of great responsibility - to not only the history of the franchise, but also to the 49ers' faithful."
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Baalke, 46, enters his seventh season with the 49ers and 14th in the National Football League. Baalke most recently served as the 49ers' Vice President of Player Personnel, overseeing all aspects of player personnel.
"Trent has done an exceptional job in his role as Vice President of Player Personnel and throughout his tenure with the 49ers," said 49ers' President and CEO Jed York. "I have had the benefit of watching Trent closely in the recent months and have been very impressed with his knowledge and leadership. I am confident that Trent will find the 49ers an excellent head coach who will lead us to great success in the coming years."
Over the last nine months, Baalke was responsible for all player acquisitions.
Baalke was considered the front-runner over the last week and will lead San Francisco's search for a new coach.
Prior to his promotion to vice president of player rersonnel, Baalke was the 49ers' director of player personnel (2008-09), where he oversaw both the college and pro personnel departments. He first joined the franchise in 2005 as the team's Western Region Scout, a position he held until 2007.
Baalke also spent four years on the Washington Redskins' scouting staff, serving as the College Scouting Coordinator in his final season. From 2001 to 2003, he served as Washington's National Scout.
Before joining the Redskins, Baalke spent three seasons (1998-2000) as a scout with the New York Jets.
From 1990 to 1995, Baalke held the position of defensive line/strength and conditioning coach at South Dakota State University. In that role, he helped promote players such as former Pro Bowl guard Adam Timmerman and current NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri to NFL scouts. Baalke then spent time as the athletic director at Shanley High School in Fargo, N.D. before moving on to the Jets.
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Baalke began his coaching career as a graduate assistant defensive line coach at North Dakota State University, in 1989. The team finished with a 14-0 record and a Division II National Championship.
He fills a post vacated by then-GM Scot McCloughan. The post has been vacant since March 2010.
Trent and his wife, Beth, have two daughters, Katy and Cassie and reside in Loveland, Colo.
