George Seifert, who guided the San Francisco 49ers to two Super Bowl titles
after succeeding the legendary Bill Walsh in 1989, was named the second coach
in franchise history of the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 4, 1999, replacing Dom
Capers. Former San Francisco coach George Seifert guided the 49ers to two Super
Bowl titles. Seifert ranks first all-time among NFL head coaches with a .765
(98-30) winning percentage. He is one of nine head coaches who have won two or
more Super Bowls (Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson, Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, Chuck
Noll, Bill Parcells, Mike Shanahan and Don Shula).
He coached on all five of San Francisco's Super Bowl championship teams -
defensive backs coach (1981), defensive coordinator (1984, 1988) and head coach
(1989, 1994). He is the second head coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl
in his first season after leading the 49ers to a 55-10 victory in Super Bowl
XXIV (Don McCafferty, Baltimore Colts 1970).
Seifert established NFL records by becoming the fastest coach to reach both
50 and 75 victories, surpassing Cleveland Head Coach Paul Brown. In 1989, his
14 victories were the most ever for an NFL rookie head coach. He also became
the first coach to earn an NFC championship in his first year.
Five current or former head coaches have served as coordinators or assistant
coaches under Seifert: Pete Carroll, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Ray Rhodes,
Mike Shanahan.
Seifert is San Francisco's all-time leader with 98 regular season coaching
victories and 108 total wins including the playoffs. In eight years as San
Francisco's head coach, Seifert guided the 49ers to appearances in five NFC
championship games, more than any coach in San Francisco history. During
Seifert's tenure as head coach, San Francisco claimed six NFC West titles,
tying Bill Walsh's team record. Seifert directed San Francisco teams that
boasted the NFL's best regular- season record in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1994,
compiling marks of 14-2, 14-2, 14-2 and 13-3 respectively.
As the 49ers defensive coordinator in 1987, Seifert oversaw a unit that led
the NFL in total defense for the first time in San Francisco history as well as
topping the NFL in pass defense.
Background
Seifert was a graduate assistant at Utah in 1964 and the head coach at
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, UT) in 1965. In 1966, he spent one year as
an assistant at Iowa before moving on to Oregon from 1967-71. Seifert was the
secondary coach at Stanford from 1972-74 and then became the head coach at
Cornell in 1975-76 before returning to Stanford as the secondary coach from
1977-79.
Personal
Born January 22, 1940, Seifert has celebrated his birthday on three
occasions during Super Bowl festivities. He turned 49 in 1989 as an assistant
coach during San Francisco's 20-16 Super Bowl XXIII win over Cincinnati; 50 as
head coach when his team defeated Denver in Super Bowl XXIV; and 55 during the
week of 49ers Super Bowl XXIX victory over San Diego.
