List of San Francisco 49ers head coaches

Last updated

Kyle Shanahan, the current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan (tight crop).jpg
Kyle Shanahan, the current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

There have been 19 head coaches in the history of the San Francisco 49ers professional football franchise. The San Francisco 49ers franchise was formed in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) before joining the National Football League (NFL) in 1950 after the AAFC merger with the NFL. Buck Shaw became the first head coach of the 49ers in 1946, serving for nine seasons—four in the AAFC and five in the NFL. [1] He coached a number of future College and Pro Football Hall of Famers, such as Frankie Albert, Joe Perry, Leo Nomellini, Y. A. Tittle, Bob St. Clair and Hugh McElhenny. [2]

Contents

In terms of tenure, Bill Walsh has coached more games (152) and more complete seasons (10) than any other head coach in 49ers franchise history. He led the 49ers to playoff appearances in seven seasons, three of which led to the Super Bowl championship, in 1981, 1984 and 1988. [3] Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Charles Haley, Ronnie Lott, Johnny Davis, Roger Craig, Fred Dean and Steve Young are among the players Walsh has coached in his career. [a] [4] [5] [6]

Four 49ers coaches—Dick Nolan, Bill Walsh, George Seifert, and Jim Harbaugh—have been named coach of the year by at least one major news organization. [7] Walsh, Jack Christiansen and Mike Singletary are the only 49ers coaches currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Walsh was selected for his coaching contributions. Singletary and Christiansen were voted into the Hall of Fame primarily for their defensive play. Four times in 49ers history has there been an "interim" head coach. Three games into the 1963 season, coach Red Hickey resigned and was replaced by Jack Christiansen. Christiansen coached the 49ers to a 2–9 record in the remainder of the season [8] and came back to coach the team for four more years. In 1978, Pete McCulley was fired after coaching the 49ers to a 1–8 record. [9] He was replaced by offensive coordinator Fred O'Connor, who was himself fired after leading the 49ers to one win in their final seven games. [10] After a 2–5 start to the 2008 season, Mike Nolan was fired and replaced by Mike Singletary, [11] who finished the season 5–4 and became the official head coach following that season. After a 5–10 start to the 2010 season, Mike Singletary was fired and replaced by Jim Tomsula for the final 49ers game of the 2010 season. [12] Stanford University head coach Jim Harbaugh succeeded Tomsula as head coach in January 2011, [13] and led the franchise to the NFC Championship Game, where the 49ers lost in overtime to the New York Giants. [14] The following season, the 49ers reached Super Bowl XLVII, where they faced off against the Baltimore Ravens, coached by Jim's older brother John Harbaugh. The 49ers trailed by as many as 22 points during the game, but ultimately lost 34–31 to the Ravens; the 49ers losing a Super Bowl for the first time.

Key

#Number of coaches
GCGames coached
WWins
LLosses
TTies
Win% Winning percentage
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
*Spent entire NFL head coaching career with the 49ers

Coaches

Note: Statistics are accurate through the 2023 NFL season.
#ImageNameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsReference
GCWLTWin% [b] GCWL
1
Buck Shaw 1945.jpg
Buck Shaw 19461954 11471394.640211 [1]
2 Red Strader 1955 12480.333 [15]
3 Frankie Albert 1942.jpg Frankie Albert* 19561958*3619161.542101 [16]
4 Red Hickey* 19591963* [c] 5527271.500 [17]
5 Christiansen 1952 Bowman.jpg Jack Christiansen ‡* 19631967* [c] 6726383.410 [18]
6 1958 topps dick nolan.jpg Dick Nolan 19681975 11254535.504523 1970 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year [7] [19]
7 Monte Clark 1976 14860.571 [20]
8 Ken Meyer* 1977*14590.357 [21]
9 Pete McCulley* 1978 [d] *9180.111 [22]
10 Fred O'Connor* 1978 [d] *7160.143 [23]
11 Coach Bill Walsh.jpg Bill Walsh †* 19791988*15292591.60914104 1981 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year
1981 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year
1981 Pro Football Weekly NFL Coach of the Year
1981 UPI NFL Coach of the Year
1984 UPI NFL Coach of the Year [7]
[24]
12 George Seifert 19891996 12898300.76615105 1989 Pro Football Weekly NFL Coach of the Year
1990 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year
1994 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year [7]
[25]
13 Steve Mariucci 2011 (cropped).jpg Steve Mariucci 19972002 9657390.594734 [26]
14 Coach Dennis E interview.jpg Dennis Erickson 20032004 329230.281 [27]
15 Mike Nolan in Afghanistan 1 hrs 080624-N-3377N-001 crop.jpg Mike Nolan* 20052008* [e] 5518370.327 [28]
16 Mike Singletary at 49ers Family Day 2009 2.JPG Mike Singletary ‡* 20082010* [e] [f] 4018220.450 [29]
17
Jim Tomsula 9-24-2017.jpg
Jim Tomsula (Interim)* 2010* [f] 11001.000 [30]
18 Jim Harbaugh (cropped).jpg Jim Harbaugh 20112014 6444191.695853 2011 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year
2011 Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year
[31]
19
Jim Tomsula 9-24-2017.jpg
Jim Tomsula* 2015*165110.313 [30]
20 Chip Kelly, Sam Bradford (21766577058) (cropped).jpg Chip Kelly 2016 162140.125 [32]
21 Kyle Shanahan (tight crop).jpg Kyle Shanahan 2017–present*11064510.5571284 [33]

Notes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Walsh (American football coach)</span> American football coach (1931–2007)

William Ernest Walsh was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. After retiring from the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports broadcaster for several years and then returned as head coach at Stanford for three seasons.

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