Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted January 17, 2005 Ravens defensive coordinator accepts offer Nolan flew to Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday to meet with 49ers owner John York. They are negotiating a contract, and until one is finalized the deal is not considered official. "We are in negotiations this afternoon," 49ers spokesman Kirk Reynolds said. "We've had a great list of candidates and we thought he is the best one to lead us into the future. He has a tremendous connection into the 49ers organization with his past." York took the weekend to sort out his coaching search, which included five interviews, and decided late Sunday night to offer Nolan the job. The 45-year-old Nolan, whose father Dick coached the 49ers between 1968 and 1975, interviewed on Thursday. Nolan's official hiring would complete York's quest to replace Dennis Erickson, who was fired along with general manager Terry Donahue on Jan. 5. York cleaned house only three days after the 49ers finished an NFL-worst 2-14, matching the worst season in San Francisco history. San Francisco won five championships from 1981-94, but on York's watch they've had only two winning seasons and won one playoff game. Nolan just finished his third season as Baltimore coordinator and has been a coach for 18 years. His NFL work dates to Dan Reeves' 1987 Broncos. Nolan coached linebackers for Reeves and eventually became the special teams coach and defensive assistant. In 1993, he was defensive coordinator for Reeves with the New York Giants. The Redskins hired Nolan as their defensive coordinator in 1997 for three seasons. He left in 2000 to work for the Jets in the same capacity, then set out for Baltimore. Ravens coach Brian Billick hired him to coach wide receivers in 2001 and then made him defensive coordinator the following season. The Ravens have ranked among the league's best defenses during Nolan's tenure. He took over a Ravens unit in transition in 2002; Baltimore used eight rookies to get through the season, and despite their youth the Ravens finished first on defense. Nolan and San Francisco's new general manager will get to use the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, but the 49ers' reputation has declined steadily since York and his wife took over the team in 1999. York believes he can fix things -- and boost the 49ers' attempts to raise support for a new stadium -- by hiring new people who can quickly transform his club. Nolan is the first to work toward accomplishing that. Nolan becomes this year's Jim Mora Jr., a second-generation NFL coach with one additional plus. Because his father coached the 49ers and he had a great interview with the son, York recognized the value of hiring a coach with a 49ers background. The Nolans are the first father-and-son combination to coach the same team since Wade Phillips took over for father Bum Phillips when the latter stepped down in New Orleans in 1985 (Wade coached the final four games; Jim Mora was then hired in 1986 by the Saints. The Nolans in actuality would become the first father-son combination to coach the same team on a more permanent basis. Nice to see more new blood in the Head Coaching ranks rather than recycling unsuccesful ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
starvenger 0 Report post Posted January 17, 2005 (with apologies to Chris Claremont) Welcome to the 49ers Mike Nolan. Hope you survive the experience... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted January 17, 2005 Will this team ever return to it's glory days? I think I want my mom to see her team win another one before she dies and I fear it won't happen......and she's only 42! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest El Satanico Report post Posted January 17, 2005 And you also mean your team prior to suddenly becoming an Eagles fan. This removes a team from competition with Cleveland for Romeo Crennel if that's the coach they want, so hooray. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest webmasterofwrestlegame Report post Posted January 17, 2005 (On first day of job) Nolan: "How much cap have we got for 2005?" York: "About $85m." Nolan: "Great." York: "But..ahem...$83m of that will be tied up in the best players we will let go this offseason. I read Moneyball. I know how to win Football Games. Get rid of the high paid players, and get the ones with the quirky stats." Nolan (Looks at tim Rattay's stat sheet): "Like the QB's who throw as many picks as they do TD's?" York: "Your learning already. Now run along and tell Julian Peterson he is no longer required. God damn Pro-Bowlers." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted January 17, 2005 This removes a team from competition with Cleveland for Romeo Crennel if that's the coach they want, so hooray. I think he's a lock for that job now. You're gonna love having him there. Great defensive minded coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Shadow Behind You Report post Posted January 17, 2005 Romeo better win quick though. He's 59 years old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2005 Weird how the defensive coordinator becomes a head coach of a NFL team and the offensive coordinator becomes the head coach of a college team.... guess it was the defense after all... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2005 And you also mean your team prior to suddenly becoming an Eagles fan. This removes a team from competition with Cleveland for Romeo Crennel if that's the coach they want, so hooray. Yeah I wouldn't mind seeing them do good and make it to the NFC title game every year....just to be crushed by The Eagles......every year. That would give me more to laugh at my mom about too......b/c laughing at her for the failure of The Packers is getting old. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted January 18, 2005 So you get your bandwagon fandom from your mom then? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted January 18, 2005 Weird how the defensive coordinator becomes a head coach of a NFL team and the offensive coordinator becomes the head coach of a college team.... guess it was the defense after all... Weis stated he wasn't just going to take any head coaching job. It had to be the right one. I think he would have taken Notre Dame over ALOT of NFL teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
USC Wuz Robbed! 0 Report post Posted January 18, 2005 Weird how the defensive coordinator becomes a head coach of a NFL team and the offensive coordinator becomes the head coach of a college team.... guess it was the defense after all... Weis stated he wasn't just going to take any head coaching job. It had to be the right one. I think he would have taken Notre Dame over ALOT of NFL teams. I guess that makes sense. He can make the move later on when he is ready. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Failed Mascot Report post Posted January 18, 2005 Well recently Weis said that if he has things his way he'll be the Head Coach of Notre Dame until he retires. I'm inclined to believe him too. He loves that school and was extremely choked up at first during the news conference when he was accepting it and thanking everybody who was involved for making his "dream come true". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
