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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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Jan 17, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; East head coach Mike Singletary points during the second quarter at the East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; East head coach Mike Singletary points during the second quarter at the East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field . Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

We Want Winners!

Mike Singletary (2008-2010)

Singletary was a bit of fresh air after sitting through the Dennis Erickson and Mike Nolan eras—and we’ll get to them—but he was more inspirational leader than he was an Xs and Os successful head coach. He brought fire and personality to a team that was somewhat severely lacking it, but that really didn’t translate into production on the field. It took the arrival of Jim Harbaugh to take Singletary’s collection of talent and translate it into a team that could win football games.  Singletary’s career record of 18-22 isn’t terrible, and he did pick up an 8-8 season in his one full year in charge, but it’s not exactly going to be enshrined in the 49ers’ Ring of Honor or anything.

Any improvement over last year’s season should keep Kelly from falling below Sing. Any sign that Kelly has brought more life and more right to the squad, compared to Jim Tomsula’s era, would keep Kelly in the top ten. If he fails to get anything more out of the team than Tomsula did, however, Singletary’s immediate impact, as short-lived as it was, would be enough to slide him above Kelly in the historical rankings.

Next: Bludgeon!