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Chip Kelly’s All-Time Ranking Among San Francisco 49ers Head Coaches

By Bryan Knowles

January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly (left) and San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) address the media in a press conference after naming Kelly as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chip Kelly (left) and San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke (right) address the media in a press conference after naming Kelly as the new head coach for the 49ers at Levi's Stadium Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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January 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula walks the sideline against the St. Louis Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula walks the sideline against the St. Louis Rams at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Short-Term Ugliness

Fred O’Connor (1978)
Jim Tomsula (2010, 2015)
Ken Meyer (1977)

Now we’re starting to get into years we really don’t want to remember.

Meyer and O’Connor were two of the 49ers next three head coaches after Joe Thomas won his power struggle with Monte Clark. Meyer was a successful offensive coordinator who didn’t really have the chops to be a head coach—think of someone like Norv Turner, for a more recent comparison. He went 5-9 as the 49ers’ head coach, and was fired after the season.  O’Connor was brought in as an interim coach the next season after his Meyer’s replacement, Pete McCulley, stuttered. He finished out the season by guiding the team to a 1-6 record, which is less that spectacular.

Tomsula, of course, needs no introduction after last season.

None of these men really should have been head coach, but they stay above the people listed below them because their reigns were relatively short lived. There’s only so much damage you can do in one season, and in each case, the 49ers moved on relatively quickly.

Kelly would fall below this group if the 49ers slide back under the 5-11 mark that Tomsula led the team to last season.  It’s pretty easy to do an apples-to-apples comparison of Kelly to Tomsula; they’re taking over roughly the same team. If Kelly can’t match Tomsula’s performance, he should slide under Tomsula.

Next: It Only Gets Uglier From Here