San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Profile

Coach Mike Nolan is heading into his third season at the reigns in San Francisco. As mentioned above, the team struggled mightily in 2005, but demonstrated significant improvement last season. Nolan is highly regarded as one of the brightest defensive minds in the game today and has been successful as a defensive coordinator for many years. Before arriving in the Bay, he was the Baltimore Ravens D-coordinator for three seasons. Under his watch, the Ravens consistently put out one of the more feared defensive units in the league.

Nolan has brought a business like approach to the Niners. After much squabbling, the league finally caved in and will permit Nolan to sport a suit for all eight of the team’s home games this season. Nolan has the Niners on the cusp of great things and considering his coaching pedigree (his father coached the 49ers) and superior knowledge of the game, all indications are that the team will reach the mountaintop.

San Francisco 49ers Off-Season Moves

The San Francisco 49ers were very busy in free agency. The most notable signing is Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Clements. Joining Clements on defense, San Francisco added safety Michael Lewis, linebacker Tully Banta-Cain and defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin.

Offensively, the 49ers acquired veteran wide receiver Darrell Jackson from the Seattle Seahawks. The club also signed former Atlanta Falcons receiver Ashley Lelie to a free agent contract. The offseason moves made in San Francisco make the team a division contender.

San Francisco 49ers 2007-08 Season Outlook

The 49ers ended the 2006 season on a positive note with an overtime road victory in Denver that eliminated the Broncos from a playoff berth. The team amassed a 7-9 record in head coach Mike Nolan’s second season at the helm. That was a vast improvement from his inaugural 2-14 campaign.

Gore’s production took considerable pressure off quarterback Alex Smith, the 1^st overall pick in the 2005 draft. Under the tutelage of departed offensive coordinator and current San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner, Smith showed dramatic improvement from his disastrous rookie season when Smith threw only one touchdown against 11 interceptions. In 2006, Smith threw 16 TD and 16 INT. Needless, 49ers fans hope his third year under center results in the team’s return to elite status.

In addition to their current crop of talent, the 49ers were very aggressive in free agency. Money was not an issue for the club as they yielded out big bucks to coveted free agent cornerback Nate Clements. The team bolstered the defense with several quality players like former Pro Bowl safety Michael Lewis, linebacker Tully Banta Cain, and defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin. All four of these new players are expected to start.

The 49ers should contend for their division title and a playoff berth. The core of the team consists of young budding stars with an adequate blend of proven veterans. The Niners are probably a year or two away from championship contention but they’re definitely headed in the right direction.  

-Founding members of the All-America Football Conference in 1946 

-Walsh won three Super Bowls and six NFC West titles in 10 years.

-The team is named after the pioneers of the 1849 Gold Rush.

-First team to win five Super Bowls.

-First team to win 10 or more games in sixteen consecutive seasons from 1983-1998.

San Francisco 49ers 2007-08 Depth Chart

San Franscisco 49ers – Monster Park

Construction Began: August 1958
Opened: April 20, 1961 (The first football game took place on October 10, 1971.)
Capacity: 64,450
Location: San Francisco, CA
Surface: Natural Grass

Known famously as Candlestick Park, Monster Park has been the home of the San Francisco 49ers since 1971. It was home to legends Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, the late Bill Walsh and all of the 49er greats from the modern NFL era. The stadium was originally built to house the San Francisco baseball Giants after they left New York following the 1957 season. It was nothing less than a challenge to build the stadium, and everything that could possibly go wrong, did. From a teamster strike that prevented the timely installation of the seats to nearby residents complaining about the construction process, building Candlestick was a headache. It is now one of the oldest stadiums still in operation in the NFL, and Monster Cable Products owns the naming rights through 2008.