Jed York | |
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.jpg) York in 2015 | |
| Born | John Edward York (1980-03-09)March 9, 1980 (age 45) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame |
| Occupations | Principal owner and CEO,San Francisco 49ers Co-owner,Leeds United F.C. Co-owner,Rangers F.C. |
| Parents |
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John Edward York (born March 9, 1980) is an American businessman who is the principal owner andchief executive officer of theSan Francisco 49ers of theNational Football League, co-owner ofLeeds United andRangers. He is the son of 49ers co-chairsDenise DeBartolo York andJohn York, nephew of former 49ers ownerEdward J. DeBartolo Jr. and a board member atLeeds United.[1] York has been the 49ers' CEO since 2008, and acquired enough of his mother's shares to become the team's principal owner in 2024.
Born and raised inYoungstown, Ohio,[2] York attended St. Charles Elementary School andCardinal Mooney High School.[3] In high school, he was a baseball team captain and the senior class president.[3] York graduated from theUniversity of Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in Finance and History.[2]
York began work as a financial analyst forGuggenheim Partners at their New York City offices, but left after approximately a year.[2] After quitting his first job, York's parents brought him into their family owned team, theSan Francisco 49ers, as director of strategic planning[2] and later promoted him to vice president of strategic planning.[4]
In December 2008, Jed became CEO of the 49ers, with his parents transitioning to the posts of co-chairmen. In making the announcement, his father, John, said that Jed's previous posts served as an opportunity for him to learn how to run a major league franchise. Jed became the operating head of the 49ers, though his parents remained principal owners, and are responsible for providing resources and representing the 49ers at league meetings.[5]
In October 2010, with the 49ers off to an 0–5 start, York wrote toESPN'sAdam Schefter that the 49ers would win their division and make the playoffs.[6] This proclamation led ESPN columnist David Fleming to refer to York as "kooky" and "goofy" and to note that York "backs up such bold declarations with a long list of qualifications starting with (1) his lifelong love of the 49ers, (2) his prestigious high school baseball career and (3) the fact that his godfather is Eddie DeBartolo."[7] However, the 49ers did come within one game of backing up York's assertion. In 2011, the team finished the season 13–3 with the #2-seed in the National Football Conference. In the Divisional Round, they defeated theNew Orleans Saints 36–32. The 49ers then hosted the NFC Championship Game against theNew York Giants, where they lost in overtime 20–17. The success of the 2011 San Francisco 49ers was with much of the same team from 2010, but largely accomplished with the key addition of first-year head coachJim Harbaugh.
In 2012, York was replaced byGideon Yu as team president, although he retained the title of CEO.[8] During the 2012 season, the 49ers built on their success from 2011, going all the way toSuper Bowl XLVII, where they lost to theBaltimore Ravens, who were coached by Harbaugh's brother,John.
In 2013, the 49ers again won 13 games and once again got all the way to the NFC Championship, but lost to theSeattle Seahawks. As it turned out, this would be the last time the 49ers had a winning season, made the playoffs, and reached the NFC Championship Game until the 2019 season.
The 2014 season was a far cry from the 49ers first 3 seasons under Harbaugh, as the 49ers finished the season with an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs. The season was plagued by front office tension between general managerTrent Baalke and Harbaugh. Most notably, it had been reported that on October 5, Harbaugh had been informed that he would not return in 2015 regardless of how well the 49ers did, something that York himself later denied. After a 19–3 nationally televised loss to theSeattle Seahawks on Thanksgiving, York tweeted: "Thank you 49ers faithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that."[9] This public statement sparked a media frenzy about York's intent behind the Tweet and whether he was specifically referring to Coach Harbaugh's future. Ultimately, after the season, the 49ers and Harbaugh had reportedly agreed to "mutually part ways", something Harbaugh later disputed, with him saying that the 49ers had fired him.
The decision to fire Harbaugh prompted an outcry from the media and the 49ers fan base. In a press conference addressing the issue, York was quoted as saying, "It's up to us to make sure we compete for and win Super Bowls. That's our only goal. We don't raise division championship banners, we don't raise NFC Championship banners. We raise Super Bowl banners. And whenever we don't deliver that, I hope that you will hold me directly responsible and accountable for it. And we look forward to getting this thing back on track."[10] Commenting on York's ability to manage the critical relationship between the general manager and the head coach, Michael Rosenberg wrote inSports Illustrated, "he failed completely."[11] Rosenberg also described York's impact on the broader 49ers organization, noting that "York has created a culture that encourages selfishness, weakness and back-stabbing." Throughout the season, there were numerous leaks to the media from within the 49ers organization criticizing Harbaugh.San Jose Mercury News columnistTim Kawakami noted "York and [General Manager, Trent] Baalke were the primary sources for the off-the-record disclosures that undercut Harbaugh's tenure."[12]
Trent Baalke replaced Harbaugh withJim Tomsula, but York supported the change comparing it to theGolden State Warriors firingMark Jackson and replacing him withSteve Kerr.[13] Kawakami criticized Jed's comparison in an article titled "49ers' Jed York clueless in comparing Tomsula to Warriors' Kerr."[14] Tomsula lasted one season, leading the 49ers to a 5–11 record before being fired on January 3, 2016.[15] However, according toAdam Gase, it was Baalke and not York who decided to make Tomsula head coach instead of Gase.[16]
In January 2017, York hiredJohn Lynch as general manager and the next month hiredKyle Shanahan as the head coach of the 49ers.[17][18] In the first eight years after the hires, the 49ers achieved significant success, reaching four NFC Championship games and playing in two Super Bowls.[18]
In March 2024, York announced that he had acquired enough of his mother's equity stake in the 49ers to become the fifth principal owner in franchise history. Hisuncle bought the team in 1977 from the family of founding ownerTony Morabito, and handed control to York's parents in 2000. York described the decision as a move to prevent the 49ers from being embroiled in the same family conflicts that have roiled other teams owned by a single family. Between them, the DeBartolo-York family owns a commanding 97 percent of the team.[19]
On May 24, 2018, English football clubLeeds United announced that49ers Enterprises had bought shares in the club to become a minority investor. 49ers Enterprises is the business arm of the San Francisco 49ers.[20][21] In July 2023, it was announced that 49ers Enterprises had purchased the remaining 56 per cent of shares fromAndrea Radrizzani.[22]
On May 30, 2025, it was announced that 49ers Enterprises had purchased a majority stake in Scottish football clubRangers.[23]
York and his wife, Danielle, have two sons; the family resides inLos Altos Hills, California. York is the son of 49ers chairpeopleDenise DeBartolo York andJohn York, and has two sisters. His brother Tony died on December 8, 2018, at age 35.[24] York has served as chairman of theSilicon Valley Leadership Group's board of directors since 2023.[25]