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.
The West Coast offense is an offense in American football that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running.
James Joseph Harbaugh is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 2015 to 2023, the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, Stanford University from 2007 to 2010 and the University of San Diego from 2004 to 2006.
Chris Palmer is an American former football coach and college athletics administrator. Palmer served as the head coach for Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1999 to 2000 and in the same capacity with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League (UFL) in 2010. He was the head football coach at the University of New Haven from 1986 to 1987 and at Boston University from 1988 to 1989. Palmer has also served as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills of the NFL. He later returned to the University of New Haven and served as the athletic director from 2018 to 2019.
Kyle Michael Shanahan is an American football coach who is the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, whose offense in 2016 led the league in points scored and helped the team reach Super Bowl LI. Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers the following season, whom he has led to three division titles, four postseason appearances, four NFC Championship Game appearances, and two Super Bowl appearances.
Mike Solari is an American football coach and former player. Solari has previously worked for five other National Football League (NFL) teams, including a stint as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2007. He played collegiately as an offensive lineman at San Diego State University.
Malcolm "Cam" Cameron is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and played quarterback for the school. Cameron began his coaching career in the NCAA with the Michigan Wolverines. After that he switched to the National Football League (NFL), where he was offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and the San Diego Chargers and head coach for the Miami Dolphins, coaching them to a 1–15 record in his only season.
Todd Washington is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who most recently served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the New York Jets, Orlando Apollos, Baltimore Ravens, Hartford Colonials and the University of San Diego.
Tom Melvin is an American football coach who is the tight ends coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). His cousin, Bob Melvin, is manager of the San Francisco Giants.
The spread offense is an offensive scheme in gridiron football that typically places the quarterback in the shotgun formation, and "spreads" the defense horizontally using three-, four-, and even five-receiver sets. Used at every level of the game including professional, college, and high school programs across the US and Canada, spread offenses often employ a no-huddle approach. Some implementations of the spread also feature wide splits between the offensive linemen.
Jack Avon Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Western Michigan University from 1982 to 1986 and Western Kentucky University from 1989 to 2002, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 116–95–3. In his final year at Western Kentucky, he led the 2002 Hilltoppers to an NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship title. In 2023, Harbaugh came out of retirement to become assistant head coach of the Michigan Wolverines under his son Jim and helped lead the team to win the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Bobb McKittrick was an American football offensive line coach in the National Football League (NFL) who coached in five Super Bowls.
Charles Edward Kelly is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He came to prominence as a college football head coach for the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, leading them to the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. Kelly's success led to a stint in the National Football League (NFL), where he coached for four seasons, three with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and one with the San Francisco 49ers (2016). After the NFL, Kelly returned to college in 2018 as the head coach of UCLA Bruins, coaching for six seasons before leaving in 2024 to join Ohio State as their offensive coordinator.
Alexander Boone is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He also played in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and Seattle Seahawks.
The 2011 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 66th season overall, and 62nd in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke. The 49ers rebounded from their disappointing 2010 season to end their streak of eight consecutive non-winning seasons. After defeating the St. Louis Rams in week 13 and attaining a 10–2 record, the team clinched the NFC West and made their first playoff appearance since 2002. The 49ers ended the regular season with a 13–3 record, their best since 1997, and earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs. In the Divisional Playoffs they defeated the New Orleans Saints 36–32 and were in the NFC Championship for the first time since 1997, where they lost to the eventual eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants in overtime by a score of 20–17, coming just short of returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1994.
David Lorenzo Shaw is an American football coach and the current senior personnel executive for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He served as head coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team from 2011 to 2022. Shaw was the team's offensive coordinator for the entire tenure of his predecessor, head coach Jim Harbaugh, from 2007 to 2010. Previously, Shaw was a four-year letter winner as a wide receiver for the Cardinals from 1991 to 1994, where he was coached by Dennis Green and Bill Walsh. Prior to returning to Stanford as offensive coordinator, Shaw was Harbaugh's passing game coordinator at the University of San Diego and an assistant coach in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens. Shaw resigned as the Stanford head coach on November 27, 2022.
Gregory P. Roman is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). Previously, he was the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens for four seasons and resigned from the team following the 2022 season. Prior to serving with the Baltimore Ravens, Roman was an assistant coach for the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers.
Michael Christianson is an American football college and professional coach. Christianson most recently served as the assistant running backs coach and the Director of Technology for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) in 2011 thru 2013 which featured a Super Bowl appearance against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII (47). Prior to his tenure with the 49ers, Christianson also served on University of Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's staff at the University of San Diego (USD) where the Toreros of the Pioneer Football League won a Division I-AA Mid-Major National title in 2006. He has worked as a football coach at several other National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions, including The University of Nebraska, Montana State University and Portland State University. Christianson coached the offensive line in 2002-2003 as a member of Jon Gruden's staff and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl XXXVII (37). Christianson played tight-end and offensive lineman at Western Oregon University.
Matthew Weiss is an American football coach who most recently was the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for the Michigan Wolverines. A native of Connecticut, he played college football for Vanderbilt and then served as a coach in multiple capacities for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL).
