Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Top 5 Head Coaches in Franchise History

By Peter Panacy

December 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (center) stands in front of defensive back L.J. McCray (31) and defensive back Marcus Cromartie (47) for the national anthem before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
December 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (center) stands in front of defensive back L.J. McCray (31) and defensive back Marcus Cromartie (47) for the national anthem before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh reacts against the Seattle Seahawks in the Thanksgiving game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh reacts against the Seattle Seahawks in the Thanksgiving game at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The San Francisco 49ers are fortunate enough to have employed some amazing head coaches since being formed in 1946. Niner Noise takes a look back at the five best head coaches to helm the red and gold.

Note: This is a re-edit of an article dating back prior to the 2016 season. Kyle Shanahan has been brought in by the 49ers in an attempt to give a new face to a scuffling franchise.

The San Francisco 49ers hope new head coach Kyle Shanahan will attain a similar level of success compared to a number of his predecessors. Shanahan will lead the 49ers into 2017 and, hopefully, beyond and should be expected to bring San Francisco’s offense back to life.

Shanahan is the latest in a lengthy chain of head coaches dating back to the franchise’s inception in 1946. The 49ers have seen plenty of coaches since then — some good, some bad and some legendary.

So with a new head coach dominating the talk of the red and gold, it’s only fitting to explore the greatest coaches in Niners history.

Fortunately, this is a fairly easy list. San Francisco has employed a number of coaching greats in its storied history. Some were simply dominant. Others were capable of turning an underperforming franchise around in short order.

Others were simply ingenious.

But to determine the criteria for the five best head coaches in franchise history, Niner Noise needed to evaluate the following:

  • A coach’s winning percentage during his 49ers tenure
  • Scope of the team when the head coach took over
  • Accolades and awards
  • X-factors, implementations and other notable characteristics

The rankings of each head coach are based on these aforementioned aspects.

So, without any further delay, let’s discuss the top five head coaches in 49ers history.

Next: Honorable Mention