San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers ( often referred to as the Niners ) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area . They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference ( NFC ) in the National Football League ( NFL ) . The team plays its home games in San Francisco , California , while the club ' s headquarters and practice facility are located in nearby Santa Clara , California . The 49ers began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All - America Football Conference ( AAFC ) and joined the NFL in 1950 after the AAFC merged into the older league . The team was the first NFL franchise to win five Super Bowl s . San Francisco is second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl wins ( 6 ) and tied with the Dallas Cowboys with 5 each . Their five league titles ( which include the pre - NFL and pre - Super Bowl periods ) place them in a four - way tie for fifth behind the Green Bay Packers ( 13 ) , the Chicago Bears ( 9 ) , the New York Giants ( 7 ) , and the Steelers ( 6 ) . The 49ers teams of the 1980s and early 1990s were a great dynasty given their five Super Bowl triumphs in that span , including four in the 1980s . The Niners won 10 or more games for 16 straight seasons . Particularly notable seasons are the 1984 and 1989 teams . Three - time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana , perennial Pro Bowler Ronnie Lott , all - time highest career quarterback rating holder Steve Young , and career touchdown leader Jerry Rice played for the 49ers during this period . Additionally , some of the most memorable plays ( including " The Catch " ) and games ( such as Super Bowl XXIII ) were played by this team . The name " 49ers " comes from the name given to the gold prospectors who arrived in Northern California around 1849 during the California Gold Rush . The team is the oldest major professional sports team in California , as well as the first . Major League Baseball would not come for a few more years when the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants would move to Los Angeles and San Francisco , respectively . The Philadelphia Warriors and Minneapolis Lakers would move to California in the sixties , and the Oakland Seals and Los Angeles Kings would become the first NHL teams in the state in 1967 . Franchise history . The San Francisco 49ers were the first major league professional sports franchise based in San Francisco , and one of the first professional sports teams based on the West Coast of the United States . The Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles the same year , 1946 . The franchise ' s first touchdown was scored by Len Eshmont . The 49ers have won five NFL championships – all Super Bowls . They were the first team to win five Super Bowls ( Super Bowls XVI , XIX , XXIII , XXIV , and XXIX ) and are the only team among those who have played multiple Super Bowls to never have lost one . They are considered " The Team of the Eighties " , winning four Super Bowls in the decade . Prior to the ' 80s , the 49ers had never won an NFL championship . They did not win a division title until 1970 . During the 1980s , they failed to make the playoffs only twice — in 1980 , and again in the strike - shortened 1982 season . 1957 . In 1957 , the 49ers would enjoy their first sustained success as members of the NFL . After losing the opening game of the season , the 49ers won their next three against the Rams , Bears , and Packers before returning home to Kezar Stadium for a game against the Chicago Bears on October 27 , 1957 . The 49ers fell behind the Bears 17 – 7 . Tragically , 49ers owner Tony Morabito ( 1910 – 1957 ) collapsed of a heart attack and died during the game . The 49ers players learned of his death at halftime when coach Frankie Albert was handed a note with two words : " Tony ' s gone . " With tears running down their faces , and motivated to win for their departed owner , the 49ers scored 14 unanswered points to win the game , 21 – 17 . Dicky Moegle ' s late - game interception in the endzone sealed the victory . Victor Morabito ( 1919 – 1964 ) and Tony ' s widow , Josephine V . Morabito ( 1910 – 1995 ) hired Louis G . Spadia as general manager . On Nov . 3 , 1957 , the 49ers hosted the Detroit Lions , a game which has gone down in local lore as featuring arguably the greatest pass play ( along with Dwight Clark ' s " The Catch " in 1981 ) . With 10 seconds remaining , 49ers ball on the Lions 41 , Detroit leading 31 – 28 , Y . A . Tittle threw a desperation pass into the end zone , right into the arms of high - leaping R . C . Owens . The play became famously known as the " Alley Oop " . Ironically , the two men covering Owens would later become 49ers coaches : Jack Christiansen ( Head Coach ) , and Jim David . The 49ers would end that season with three straight victories and an 8 – 4 record , tying the Detroit Lions for the NFL Western Division title , and setting up a one - game divisional playoff in San Francisco . The 49ers got off to a fast start , and in the third quarter led 27 – 7 . The Lions , led by quarterback Tobin Rote , who earlier in the season had replaced an injured Bobby Layne , would mount one of the biggest comebacks in NFL history and defeat the 49ers , 31 — 27 . Had they won the game , the 49ers would have hosted the NFL Championship game the following weekend against the Cleveland Browns . As it happened , the Lions wound up beating the Browns 59 – 14 . 1958 – 1969 . Also in the 1950s the 49ers famous “ Million Dollar Backfield ” was formed . The team ’ s backfield consisted of four future Hall of Fame members — quarterback Y . A . Tittle and running backs John Henry Johnson , Hugh McElhenny , and Joe Perry . For most of the next thirteen years the 49ers would hover around . 500 , except for 1963 and 1964 when they went 2 – 12 and 4 – 10 respectively . Key players for these 49ers included running back Ken Willard , quarterback John Brodie , and offensive lineman Bruce Bosley . During this time the 49ers became the first NFL team to use the shotgun formation . It was named by the man who actually devised the formation , San Francisco 49ers ' coach Red Hickey , in 1960 . The formation , where the quarterback lines up seven yards behind the center , was designed to allow the quarterback extra time to throw . The formation was used for the first time in 1960 and enabled the 49ers to beat the Baltimore Colts , who were not familiar with the formation . In 1961 , primarily using the shotgun the 49ers got off to a fast 4 – 1 start , including two shutouts in back - to - back weeks . In their sixth game they faced the Chicago Bears , who , by moving players closer to the line of scrimmage and rushing the quarterback were able to defeat the shotgun and in fact shut out the 49ers , 31 – 0 . Though the 49ers would go only 3 — 5 — 1 the rest of the way , the shotgun would eventually become a component of most team ' s offenses and is a formation used by football teams at all levels . In 1962 the 49ers had a frustrating season as they won only 6 games that year . They won only 1 game at Kezar Stadium while on the road they won 5 of 7 games . After posting a losing record in 1963 . Victor Morabito died May 10 , 1964 , at age 45 . The 1964 season was another lost campaign . According to the 1965 49er Year Book the co - owners of the team were : Mrs . Josephine V . Morabito Fox , Mrs . Jane Morabito , Mrs . O . H . Heintzelman , Lawrence J . Purcell , Mrs . William O ' Grady , Albert J . Ruffo , Franklin Mieuli , Frankie Albert , Louis G . Spadia and James Ginella . The 1965 49ers rebounded nicely to finish with a 7 – 6 – 1 record . They were led that year by John Brodie , who after being plagued by injuries came back to become one of the NFL ' s best passers by throwing for 3 , 112 yards and 30 touchdowns . In 1966 , the Morabito widows named Lou Spadia , team president . For the 1968 season the 49ers hired Dick Nolan as their head coach , who had been Tom Landry ' s defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys . Nolan ' s first two seasons with the 49ers had gone much the same as the previous decade , with the 49ers going 7 – 6 – 1 and 4 – 8 – 2 . 1970 – 72 . The 49ers started out the 1970 season 7 – 1 – 1 , their only loss a one - point defeat to Atlanta . After losses to Detroit and Los Angeles , the 49ers won their next two games before the season finale against the Oakland Raiders . Going into the game the 49ers had a half - game lead on the Los Angeles Rams and needed either a win or the Giants to defeat the Rams in their finale to give the 49ers their first ever divisional title . In the early game the Giants were crushed by the Rams 30 – 3 , thus forcing the 49ers to win their game to clinch the division . In wet , rainy conditions in Oakland , the 49ers dominated the Raiders , 38 – 7 , giving the 49ers their first divisional championship , becoming champions of the NFC West . The 49ers won their divisional playoff game 17 – 14 against the defending conference champion Minnesota Vikings , thus setting up a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC Championship . In what would be the final home game for the 49ers at Kezar Stadium the 49ers kept up with the Cowboys before losing , 17 – 10 , thus giving the Cowboys their first conference championship . The 49ers sent five players to the Pro Bowl that season , including MVP veteran quarterback John Brodie , wide receiver Gene Washington , and linebacker Dave Wilcox . Nolan was also named NFL Coach of the Year for 1970 . Following the 1970 season the 49ers moved from Kezar Stadium to Candlestick Park . Despite being located on the outskirts of the city , Candlestick Park gave the 49ers a much more modern facility with more amenities that was easier for fans to access by highway . The 49ers won their second straight divisional title in 1971 with a 9 - 5 record . The 49ers again won their divisional playoff game against the Washington Redskins by a 24 - 20 final score . This set up a rematch against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game , this time to be played in Dallas . Though the defense again held the Cowboys in check , the 49ers offense was ineffective and the eventual Super Bowl champion Cowboys beat the 49ers again , 14 - 3 . In 1971 , eight 49ers made the Pro Bowl , including defensive back Jimmy Johnson and Gene Washington , both for the second year in a row , as well as defensive end Cedric Hardman , running back Vic Washington , and offensive lineman Forest Blue . . The 49ers won their third consecutive NFC West championship in 1972 with five wins in their last six games , making them the only franchise to win their first three divisional titles after the 1970 AFL - NFL merger . Their opponents in the divisional playoffs would once again be the Dallas Cowboys , making it the third consecutive year the teams faced each other in the playoffs . Vic Washington took the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score , and the 49ers took a 21 - 6 lead in the second quarter . After the 49ers took a 28 - 13 lead in the 4th quarter , Tom Landry sent quarterback Roger Staubach , who was backing up Craig Morton , into the game . Staubach quickly led the Cowboys on a drive to a field goal , bringing the score to within 28 - 16 , and as the game wound down it appeared that that would be all the Cowboys would get . However , the Cowboys would complete the comeback all in the last two minutes . Just after the two minute warning Staubach found Billy Parks for a touchdown to bring the score to 28 - 23 . Needing an onside kick to have a realistic chance at a game - winning touchdown , Cowboys kicker Toni Fritsch executed a successful onside kick , with the ball going back to the Cowboys . With the 49ers on the ropes , Staubach completed the comeback with a touchdown pass to Ron Sellers giving the Cowboys a dramatic 30 - 28 victory and sending the 49ers to yet another crushing playoff defeat . 1973 – 78 . The 49ers run at the top of the NFC West ended in 1973 with the 49ers falling to a 5 - 9 record , their worst since 1969 . The team lost six of its last eight games , including games to the also - ran New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions . In the final season of his career , longtime 49ers quarterback John Brodie split playing time with two other quarterbacks , most notably longtime backup Steve Spurrier . The team also suffered from not having a dominant running back , with Vic Washington leading the team with only 534 yards rushing . In 1974 the 49ers drafted Wilbur Jackson from the University of Alabama to be the team ' s primary back . Jackson enjoyed a fine rookie year , leading the 49ers with 705 yards rushing . He and fellow running back Larry Schreiber combined for over 1300 yards rushing . With Steve Spurrier injured and missing nearly the entire year , the 49ers did not have a regular quarterback but did put together a respectable 6 - 8 record . Following the season , longtime tight end Ted Kwalick left the 49ers to join the World Football League ( he would join the Oakland Raiders upon the WFL ' s dissolution . ) The 49ers dropped back down to 5 - 9 in what would be Dick Nolan ' s final season as coach in 1975 , the 49ers losing their final four games of the season . Wilbur Jackson was hurt much of the year and Delvin Williams led the 49ers in rushing with 631 yards rushing . Following the 1975 season the 49ers traded for New England Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett , former Heisman Trophy winner from nearby Stanford University ( which was also the alma mater of John Brodie ) . Though Plunkett had shown promise with the Patriots , he had not won there and it was thought that he needed a change of scenery . Monte Clark was also brought on as 49ers head coach . The 49ers were led by one of the best running games in the NFL in 1976 . Delvin Williams emerged as an elite back , gaining over 1200 yards rushing and would make the Pro Bowl . Wilbur Jackson also enjoyed a resurgence , rushing for 792 yards . Once again Gene Washington was the teams leading receiver with 457 yards receiving and six scores . The 49ers started the season 6 - 1 for their best start since 1970 . Most of the wins were against second - tier teams , although the 49ers did shut out the Rams 16 - 0 , in Los Angeles on Monday Night Football . In that game the 49ers recorded 10 sacks , including 6 by Tommy Hart . However , the 49ers lost four games in a row , including two against divisional rivals Los Angeles and Atlanta that proved fatal to their playoff hopes . Despite finishing the season with a winning record of 8 - 6 , Clark was fired after just one season by general manager Joe Thomas , who would oversee the worst stretch of football in the team ' s history . Under coach Ken Meyer the 49ers would lose their first five games of the 1977 season , including being shut out twice . Though they would win five of their next six they would lose their last three games to finish the season 5 - 9 . Playing in San Francisco proved not to revive Plunkett ' s career as he had another disappointing season , throwing only 9 touchdown passes . Bright spots for the 49ers included defensive linemen Tommy Hart and Cleveland Elam , who made the Pro Bowl , and running backs Wilbur Jackson and Delvin Williams , who combined for over 1600 yards rushing . Gene Washington again led the team in receiving in 1977 , which would be his final year with the 49ers . The 1977 offseason was marked by a number of questionable moves by Joe Thomas that backfired badly . Thomas ' s big offseason acquisition was running back O . J . Simpson from the Buffalo Bills . As with Plunkett two years previously , it was thought that rescuing Simpson from a bad situation and bringing him to the area of the country he had been raised would rejuvenate his career . To create playing time for Simpson , Thomas traded Delvin Williams to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Freddie Solomon . Thomas also released Jim Plunkett , giving up on him after two seasons . Finally , Thomas fired Meyer after only one season , and replaced him with Pete McCulley , his third coach in three seasons . The 1978 season was a disaster for the 49ers , as they finished 2 – 14 , their only wins coming against the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Simpson indeed led the team in rushing , but with less than 600 yards . It had become apparent that Simpson ' s knees and body were shot , and he was clearly near the end of his career . Wilbur Jackson also missed the entire season due to injury . Even worse for the franchise was that the first pick of the 1979 draft that they would have had was traded to the Bills as part of the O . J . Simpson deal . Thomas was fired following the season . However some of the key players that would be part of the 49ers stunning rise to emergence would begin their 49ers career in 1978 . Rookie quarterback Steve DeBerg , who would be Joe Montana ' s first mentor , was the 49ers starting quarterback . Running back Paul Hofer and center / guard Randy Cross also started with the 49ers in 1978 . 1979 – 80 . The team was led in its turnaround from late 1970s doormat by new owner Edward J . DeBartolo Jr . and head coach Bill Walsh . The former head coach of Stanford University was known for stockpiling draft picks , making excellent draft selections , and patching roster holes by acquiring key free agents . Bill Walsh was hired to be the 49ers head coach in the 1978 off - season . Walsh was a disciple of Paul Brown , and served as Brown ' s offensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1975 . However , Brown did not appoint him as his successor upon his retirement , ironically choosing another assistant , former 49ers center Bill " Tiger " Johnson . Desiring head coach experience , Walsh looked to Stanford University in 1977 . He had had some success there before the 49ers tapped him to be their replacement . Walsh is given credit for popularizing the ' West Coast offense ' , which is not entirely true . The Bill Walsh offense was actually created and refined while he was an assistant coach with Bengals . The offense utilizes a short , precise , timed passing game as a replacement / augmentation of the running game . The offense is extremely difficult to defend against as it is content to consistently make 6 - 8 yard gains all the way down the field . ( The true West Coast offense — more focused on the vertical , or downfield , passing game — was actually created by 1960s L . A . / San Diego coach Sid Gillman , and San Diego State coach Don Coryell , who also employed a version of it as head coach of the San Diego Chargers during a period where it garnered the nickname " Air Coryell " . ) In Walsh ' s first draft , the 49ers had targeted Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana as an early round pick . Montana had enjoyed a storied college career , leading the Fighting Irish to the 1977 national title and a number of dramatic comeback victories , the most stunning of all being his final game , at the 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic . Playing the University of Houston in an ice storm , and with Montana suffering from a bad flu , Notre Dame was down 34 – 13 in the third quarter . However , Montana led a magnificent rally that culminated with him throwing a touchdown pass on the game ' s final play to give Notre Dame the 35 - 34 win . Despite this , most scouts did not peg Montana as a top prospect . In addition to being relatively small for a quarterback ( just over six feet ) and slow , Montana ' s arm strength was considered suspect . Though he did get credit for his moxie and intangibles , most thought of him as a system player surrounded by a great team . In the 1979 draft , the Dallas Cowboys were placed just ahead of the 49ers . The Cowboys ' draft strategy through that time was to take the highest - ranked player on their draft board at the time of their selection , regardless of position . When the Cowboys ' turn came up in the third round , the highest rated player on their board was Montana . However , feeling that the quarterback position was in excellent long - term shape with Roger Staubach and Danny White , and desperately needing a tight end , the Cowboys went off their strategy and drafted Doug Cosbie . The 49ers took Montana . The 49ers other notable draft choice of the 1979 draft was wide receiver Dwight Clark in the 10th round . Walsh discovered the unheralded Clark while scouting quarterback Steve Fuller of Clemson University as Clark ran routes for Fuller during Walsh ' s evaluation of the quarterback . Walsh ' s serendipitous discovery of Clark would prove to be an early glimpse into the coach ' s keen eye for talent . As Walsh implemented his strategies and game plan , the 49ers had another year of losing , going 2 - 14 . There were , however , a number of bright spots . Despite throwing more interceptions ( 21 ) than touchdowns ( 17 ) , Steve DeBerg blossomed under Walsh , throwing for over 3600 yards and completing 60 % of his passes . Freddie Solomon also had a good year , with over 800 yards receiving . The running game was patchwork , with Paul Hofer leading the team with 615 yards and O . J . Simpson , in what would be his final season , rushing for only 460 yards and being sidelined with injuries . The 49ers got off to a strong start in 1980 , winning their first three games of the season . However , the team , still not quite ready for the big time , would lose their next eight games in a row , although many of those games were close , and the 49ers acquitted themselves well . During the season Walsh alternated DeBerg and Montana at quarterback . Though DeBerg had played well for the 49ers , Walsh felt the team ' s best chance to win in the long run was with Montana . He alternated the two QBs , giving Montana some experience while keeping opponents off guard . This strategy of alternating quarterbacks from game to game and during games is rare in football , although it had been employed by other successful teams in the past , specifically the Dallas Cowboys of the early 1970s who alternated Roger Staubach and Craig Morton , and the Los Angeles Rams of the early 1950s alternating Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield . In all DeBerg started nine games , going 4 - 5 with 1 , 998 yards , 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions . Montana started seven games , going 2 - 5 with 1 , 795 yards , 15 touchdowns , and nine picks ; Montana also had a better completion percentage at 64 . 6 to DeBerg ' s 57 . 9 . The highlight of the 1980 season , and a sign of good things to come , came in Week 14 . The 49ers trailed the New Orleans Saints , who at the time were winless at 0 - 13 , 35 - 7 at halftime . However , led by Joe Montana , the 49ers made ( what was then ) the greatest comeback in NFL history , coming back to tie the score in regulation and winning the game in overtime with a field goal by Ray Wersching to give the 49ers an incredible 38 - 35 victory . It was this game , which marked Montana ' s first big NFL comeback win , that won Montana the quarterback job full time . A number of key players emerged for the 49ers in 1980 . Among them were Dwight Clark , who led the 49ers with 82 receptions and just under 1000 yards receiving , and running back Earl Cooper , who ran for over 700 yards . 1981 : ' The Catch ' and first Super Bowl championship . With the offense playing well consistently , Walsh and the 49ers focused on overhauling the defense in 1981 . Walsh took the highly unusual step of overhauling his entire secondary with rookies and untested players , bringing on board Ronnie Lott , Eric Wright and Carlton Williamson and giving Dwight Hicks a prominent role . He also acquired veteran linebacker Jack " Hacksaw " Reynolds and veteran defensive lineman and sack specialist Fred Dean . These new additions , when added to existing defensive mainstays like Keena Turner , turned the 49ers into a offensively and defensively balanced , dominant team . After a 1 - 2 start , the 49ers won all but one of their remaining games to finish with a 13 - 3 record , up to this point in time it was the team ' s best regular season win - loss record in its history . Dean made the Pro Bowl , as did Lott ( in his rookie season ) , and Hicks . Led by Montana , the unusual offense was centered around the short passing game , which Walsh used as ball control . Both Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon had excellent years receiving ; Clark as the possession receiver , and Solomon as more of a deep threat . The 49ers running game , however , was among the weakest for any champion in NFL history . Ricky Patton led the 49ers with only 543 yards rushing . The 49ers ' most valuable running back , however , might have been Earl Cooper , whose strength was as a pass - catching back ( he had 51 catches during the season ) . The 49ers faced the New York Giants in the divisional playoffs and won , 38 - 24 . This set up an NFC Championship Game match - up with the Dallas Cowboys , whom the 49ers historically could not beat during their earlier success and playoff run in the early 1970s . As they had earlier in the season ( beating the Cowboys 45 - 14 ) , the 49ers played the Cowboys tough , but the Cowboys forced six turnovers and held the lead late . Unlike the playoff games of the ' 70s , this would end differently . In a scenario not unlike the 1972 divisional playoff , the 49ers were down 27 - 21 and on their own 11 yard line with 4 : 54 remaining . As Montana had done for Notre Dame and the 49ers so many times before , he led the 49ers on a sustained drive to the Cowboys ' 6 - yard line . On a 3rd - and - 3 play , with his primary receiver covered , Montana rolled right and threw the ball off balance to Dwight Clark in the end zone , who leaped up and caught the ball to tie the game at 27 , with the extra point giving the 49ers the lead . Other contributors on the final 89 - yard drive included Solomon , Lenvil Elliott ( RB ) , Earl Cooper ( FB ) , Mike Wilson ( WR ) , Charle Young ( TE ) , Dan Audick ( LT ) , John Ayers ( LG ) , Fred Quillan ( C ) , Randy Cross ( RG ) , and Keith Fahnhorst ( RT ) . " The Catch " , as the play has since been named by sportscasters , reminded older 49er fans of the " Alley - oop " passes that Y . A . Tittle threw to lanky receiver R . C . Owens back in the 1950s . A picture of Clark ' s leap in the air taken by Walter Iooss , Jr . appeared on the cover of that week ' s Sports Illustrated and was also featured in an Autumn 2005 commercial for Gatorade . Despite this , the Cowboys had one last chance to win . And indeed , on the first play of the next possession , Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson caught a pass from Danny White and got to midfield before he was pulled down by the jersey at the 49ers 44 yard line by Cornerback Eric Wright . Had Pearson not have been jersey - tackled , there was a good chance he would have scored a touchdown , as there were no 49ers downfield . On the next play , White was sacked by Lawrence Pillers and fumbled the ball , which was recovered by Jim Stuckey , giving the 49ers the win and a trip to their first ever Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals , who were also in their first Super Bowl . The 49ers would take a 20 - 0 halftime lead and hold on to win Super Bowl XVI 26 - 21 behind kicker Ray Wersching ' s four field goals and a key defensive stand . Throughout the ' 81 season , the defense had been a significant reason for the team ' s success , despite residing in the shadow of the then - innovative offense . Montana won MVP honors mostly on the strength of leading the 49ers on a 92 yard , 12 play drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Earl Cooper . Thus did the 49ers complete one of the most dramatic and complete turnarounds in NFL history , going from back - to - back 2 - 14 seasons to a Super Bowl championship in just two years . 1982 – 83 . Montana ' s success in the playoffs , and his success in leading the 49ers on big comebacks , made him one of the biggest stars in the NFL , and arguably the best quarterback ever to play the game . Not only was he the face of the 49ers , but his easygoing and modest manner enabled his celebrity to transcend football . Additionally , it caused other teams to consider players who , although not physically gifted , nonetheless had certain intangibles and tendencies that made them great players who could come up big in the toughest of situations . During their first Super Bowl run , the team was known for its short - range passing game and the play - making ability of quarterback Joe Montana . Later , they became proficient in all aspects of the game , featuring a dominant defense ( always in the offense ' s shadow ) and a fast - scoring passing attack ( with wide - receivers Jerry Rice and John Taylor ) . The 1982 season was a bad one for the 49ers , as they lost all five games at Candlestick Park en route to a 3 – 6 record in a strike - shortened season . This would be the 49ers last losing season for the next 17 years . Joe Montana was the one highlight , passing for 2 , 613 yards in just nine games , highlighted by five straight games in which he broke the 300 - yard barrier . In 1983 , the 49ers won their final three games of the season , finishing with a 10 - 6 record and winning their 2nd NFC Western Divisional Title in three years . Leading the rebound was Joe Montana with another stellar season , passing for 3 , 910 yards and connecting on 26 touchdowns . In the NFC Divisional Playoffs , they hosted the Detroit Lions . The 49ers jumped out in front early and led 17 - 9 entering the 4th quarter , but the Lions roared back , scoring two touchdowns to take a 23 — 17 lead . However , Montana would lead a comeback , hitting wide receiver Freddie Solomon on a game - winning 14 - yard touchdown pass with 2 : 00 left on the clock to put the 49ers ahead 24 — 23 . The game ended when a potential game - winning FG attempt by Lions kicker Eddie Murray missed . The next week , the 49ers came back from a 21 — 0 deficit against the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game to tie the game , only to lose , after a questionable pass interference call , 24 — 21 on a Mark Moseley field goal that sent the Redskins to Super Bowl XVIII . 1984 – 87 . In 1984 , the 49ers had one of the greatest seasons in team history by finishing the regular season 15 - 1 - 0 , setting the record for most regular season wins that was later equaled by the 1985 Chicago Bears , the 1998 Minnesota Vikings , and the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers , and finally broken by the 2007 New England Patriots ( with 16 regular season victories ) . Their 18 wins overall is also still a record , tied by the 1985 Bears and the 2007 New England Patriots . The 49ers ' only defeat in the 1984 season was a 20 - 17 loss to the Steelers ; a late field goal attempt in that game by San Francisco kicker Ray Wersching went off the uprights and was no good . In the playoffs , they beat the New York Giants 21 - 10 , shut out the Chicago Bears 23 – 0 in the NFC Championship , and in Super Bowl XIX the 49ers shut down a record - setting year by NFL MVP Dan Marino ( and his speedy receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper ) , beating the Miami Dolphins 38 - 16 . Their entire defensive backfield ( Ronnie Lott , Eric Wright , Dwight Hicks , and Carlton Williamson ) was elected to the Pro Bowl — an NFL first . During the 1984 season , fourteen 49ers players came together to record a 45 pop single entitled " We ' re the 49ers . " The song , released as a 45 rpm single on Megatone Records , was produced and co - written by Narada Michael Walden . It mixed elements of R & B , funk , and pop . Prominent 49ers who provided vocals include Roger Craig , Dwight Clark and Ronnie Lott ( Joe Montana is noticeably absent , although he would join Lott , Clark and Riki Ellison to provide background vocals for the San Francisco band Huey Lewis and the News on two tracks from their 1986 album " Fore ! " ) . While achieving some local airplay in San Francisco on radio stations like KMEL , it did not catch on nationally the way the Bears ' Super Bowl Shuffle would a year later . In the 1985 season , Roger Craig became the first NFL player to gain 1 , 000 yards rushing and 1 , 000 yards receiving in the same season . The 49ers were not as dominant as in 1984 , however , and they settled for a 10 - 6 record , a wild card berth and a quick elimination from the playoffs when the New York Giants beat them 17 - 3 . In addition , 1985 marked the appearance of newly acquired rookie Jerry Rice who would continue with the 49ers throughout the 1990s . When the 1986 season began , the 49ers were off and running with a 31 – 7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on opening day . But the win was costly ; Joe Montana injured his back and was out for two months . Jeff Kemp became the starting quarterback , and the 49ers went 4 – 3 – 1 in September and October . Upon Montana ' s return , the 49ers caught fire , winning 6 of the last 8 games , including a 24 – 14 win over the Los Angeles Rams , to clinch the NFC West title . However , the New York Giants defeated them again in the playoffs , 49 – 3 . Montana was injured in the first half by a hit from the Giants ' Jim Burt . During the strike - shortened 1987 season , the 49ers led the league with a 13 – 2 record but fell in their first playoff game to the Minnesota Vikings , 36 – 24 — the third year in a row they lost in the first round . The loss to the Vikings was a stunning upset considering the 49ers that year were ranked # 1 on both offense and defense , making them the odds - on favorite to win the Super Bowl . Note that 1987 marked the first of six seasons when the 49ers had two Hall of Fame quarterbacks on the roster : from 1987 through 1992 , Montana ' s backup ( and frequent replacement ) was Steve Young . 1988 – 89 : Back - to - back Super Bowls . In 1988 , the 49ers at first struggled . At one point , they were 6 – 5 and in danger of missing the playoffs but rose to defeat the Washington Redskins on a Monday night game , eventually finishing the season at 10 - 6 . They gained a measure of revenge by thrashing the Minnesota Vikings 34 – 9 in the first round . The 49ers then traveled to Chicago ' s Soldier Field , where the chill factor at game time was 26 degrees below zero . The Las Vegas line at game time was " pick " , but it was the Bears famed 46 defense who got methodically picked apart by Joe Montana and Jerry Rice as the 49ers dominated the Chicago Bears 28 - 3 in the NFC Championship game . The win over the Bears gave the 49ers their third trip to the Super Bowl : Super Bowl XXIII , located in Miami . Despite numerous trips deep into Cincinnati territory by the 49ers , the game was tied 3 – 3 at halftime . A late Cincinnati field goal put the Bengals ahead 16 - 13 with just over three minutes left on the clock . Following the kickoff , and a holding penalty , the 49ers took over on their 8 yard line with 3 : 08 left on the clock . Joe Montana began the final drive by stepping into the huddle and remarking to his teammates during a television timeout , " hey , isn ' t that John Candy , " as he pointed to the stands . His calm demeanor reassured the 49ers , and he then engineered what some consider the greatest drive in Super Bowl history , as he drove the team 92 yards for the winning touchdown on a pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left . Final score : 20 – 16 49ers . The following year , coach Bill Walsh retired , and his defensive coordinator and handpicked successor , George Seifert , took over head coaching duties . The 49ers then steamrolled through the league to finish 14 – 2 and gain homefield advantage throughout the playoffs . Their two losses were by a combined 5 points . In the first round , they crushed the Vikings , 41 — 13 . In the NFC Championship game , they blew out the Los Angeles Rams 30 - 3 before crushing the Denver Broncos 55 – 10 in Super Bowl XXIV - setting a record for points scored and widest margin of victory in a Super Bowl . Montana himself set many Super Bowl records ( some since tied or surpassed ) en route to his third Super Bowl MVP . In winning the Super Bowl , the 49ers became the only team to win back - to - back Super Bowls under different head coaches . This 1989 championship squad is often regarded as one of the most dominant teams ever , winning all three playoff games by a combined 100 points . 1990 – 93 . In 1990 , the 49ers won their first ten games , and they eventually finished 14 - 2 . They ripped through the season , and the coveted third consecutive Super Bowl victory seemed within reach . In the playoffs , the 49ers dispatched the Washington Redskins 28 – 10 , setting up a conference championship game with the New York Giants . Despite not scoring a touchdown in the game , the Giants took advantage of a fourth - quarter injury to Montana and converted a faked punt attempt to thwart the 49ers attempt at a " three - peat . " The Giants kicked a last - second field goal after recovering a Roger Craig fumble in the final minutes of the game , winning 15 - 13 and going on to win Super Bowl XXV . During their quest for a " three - peat " between 1988 and 1990 , the 49ers set a league record with 18 consecutive road victories . Joe Montana missed almost all of the following two seasons with a recurring elbow injury . Following the 1990 season , the 49ers left team stalwarts Roger Craig and Ronnie Lott unprotected and let them go to the Los Angeles Raiders via Plan B free agency . In 1991 , Steve Young injured the thumb on his throwing hand and later was sidelined with an injured knee . After 10 games , the 49ers had a record of 4 - 6 . Backup quarterback Steve Bono helped the team win five of its next six games with Young sidelined . In the final game of the season , Monday Night versus the NFC ' s no . 2 seed , Young returned and the 49ers embarrassed the Chicago Bears 52 - 14 , finishing 10 - 6 . However , the team missed qualifying for the playoffs by virtue of losing the head - to - head tiebreaker to the Atlanta Falcons , which had beaten the 49ers on a last - second Hail Mary pass earlier in the season . The 1992 and 1993 seasons saw a resurgent 49er team under the leadership of Steve Young , but a subpar defense could only take them to the NFC Championship game before falling to the Dallas Cowboys each time . In 1992 , Joe Montana came back after missing almost two full seasons due to an elbow injury in his throwing arm , and started the second half of a Monday night game versus Detroit on December 28 , 1992 . With the 49ers clinging to a 7 – 6 lead , Montana entered the game and looked as though he had not missed a single snap , completing 15 - 21 for 126 yards and 2 TDs , as the 49ers defeated the Lions 24 - 6 . The 49ers finished the 1992 season with a 14 - 2 record and home field advantage in the playoffs . San Francisco defeated the Washington Redskins 20 - 13 in the divisional playoff game , but lost to the Dallas Cowboys 30 - 20 in the NFC Championship at Candlestick Park . At the end of the 1992 season , partly fueled by media hype , the biggest quarterback controversy in football history was in full swing . After discussions with the owner and the coach , Montana asked for , and was granted , a trade to the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 1993 season . Despite Eddie DeBartolo wanting Montana to stay and start , Montana realized that he and Young could not stay with the 49ers without a controversy . Montana was later quoted as saying , " If I had stayed and started , there would have been problems . If I had stayed and Steve Young had started , there would have been problems . " The 49ers finished the 1993 season , the team ' s first without Joe Montana on the roster , with a 10 - 6 record and no . 2 seed in the playoffs . San Francisco defeated the New York Giants 44 - 3 in the divisional playoff game , but lost to the Dallas Cowboys 38 - 21 in the NFC Championship at Texas Stadium . 1994 : The fifth Super Bowl victory . In 1994 , the team spent large amounts of money on the addition of several star free agents from other teams , including Ken Norton , Jr . , Gary Plummer , Rickey Jackson , Richard Dent , Charles Mann and Deion Sanders . Additionally , several rookie players made key contributions to the team , some becoming season - long starters such as defensive tackle Bryant Young , fullback William Floyd , and linebacker Lee Woodall . The 49ers had some tough times early in the season , including a 40 – 8 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles , and a 24 – 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs , led by former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana . Following the Eagles game , a poll conducted on local sports radio station KNBR showed that an overwhelming majority of 49er fans wanted head coach George Seifert fired . The game against the Eagles was a turning point for the 49ers despite the lopsided score . Young was benched in the 3rd quarter and was later seen livid on the sidelines , shouting profanities at head coach George Seifert . The following week in Detroit , the 49ers trailed the Lions 14 - 0 . After throwing a pass , Young was hit , picked up , and driven into the ground by three Lions defenders . After the hit , Young was screaming with his face dark red in color . He crawled most of the way off of the field before refusing help from the trainers as he limped the remaining way off the field . He miraculously returned to the field one play later ( NFL rules state that after trainers attend to an injured player , that player must leave the field for at least one play ) to lead the 49ers to a 27 - 21 victory . The team rallied around Young to win 10 straight games , including a 21 - 14 victory over the two - time defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys . During that span the 49ers ' average margin of victory was nearly 20 points per game , a sustained dominance not seen since the 1985 Chicago Bears . Despite scoring only 8 points in one game and 14 in another the 49ers set a new record for total regular season and post season combined points scored . That record was later broken by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998 and the New England Patriots in 2007 . Even after those initial rough spots early in the season , the 49ers finished the season 13 - 3 and with homefield advantage throughout the playoffs . In their first game , they easily defeated the Chicago Bears , 44 - 15 , setting up the third straight 49ers - Cowboys NFC Championship Game . The 49ers took advantage of three early Cowboys turnovers , taking a 21 - 0 lead in the first quarter . Taking a 31 - 14 lead into halftime after a perfect 29 yard pass from Young to Rice in the closing seconds , the game appeared to be far out of reach for the Cowboys . A 49er fumble on the opening kick of the 3rd quarter led to a Cowboy score , cutting the lead to 31 - 21 . Later the 49ers responded with a Steve Young touchdown run , making it 38 - 21 , before the Cowboys scored another touchdown in the final minutes for a final score of 38 - 28 . The convincing win qualified the 49ers for their fifth Super Bowl appearance , and the first to be played by two teams from California . The 49ers steamrolled the San Diego Chargers 49 - 26 , becoming the first team to win a record five Super Bowls . With a record 6 touchdown passes , Steve Young was named the game ' s MVP . Their run of 5 Super Bowl wins in 14 seasons ( 1981 – 1994 ) solidified them as one of the all time greatest NFL teams . 1995 – 98 . The 49ers made the playoffs in 1995 , 1996 , and 1997 , being eliminated each season by the Green Bay Packers , including a 23 - 10 loss at Candlestick in the 1997 NFC Championship game . The time was marked by key injuries , including one to Jerry Rice that sidelined him for 14 games , and numerous injuries to Steve Young . In 1998 , Steve Young led the 49ers to a 12 - 4 record and their 16th straight winning season , all with 10 wins or more . Once again , the 49ers faced the Green Bay Packers in a thrilling NFC Wild Card game that went back and forth for its duration . Things looked bleak when the 49ers trailed 27 - 23 in the waning seconds . However , in one last moment of glory , Young hit Terrell Owens on a dramatic , game - winning 25 - yard touchdown pass , dubbed by many as " The Catch II " , that put the Niners ahead at 30 - 27 with 0 : 03 left on the game clock . The Niners would go on to lose 20 - 18 to the eventual NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Divisional Playoffs . 1999 – 2003 . In the late 1990s Eddie DeBartolo , Jr . was involved in a corruption investigation regarding Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards and one of his Mississippi riverboat casino s . DeBartolo later pled guilty to a failure to report a felony charge in 1998 . He was suspended from active control of the 49ers for one year . His sister , Denise DeBartolo York , and her husband , Dr . John York , took over operations of the team . Eddie DeBartolo returned from his suspension in 1999 , but a series of lawsuits over control of the family ' s vast holdings led him to surrender controlling interest to the Yorks as part of a 2000 settlement . Denise York is now chairwoman of the board , while John York is CEO . On the field , the 1999 version of the 49ers got off to a 3 - 1 start , then in a nationally televised Monday Night Football game against the Arizona Cardinals , Steve Young suffered a blindside hit from cornerback Aeneas Williams that would eventually convince him to retire . At the time it was believed the severe hit ended his career but Young later said in interviews he could have come back to play another season or two . After meeting with then GM Bill Walsh and being told about how the salary cap troubles would make the team non - competitive , Young chose to retire rather than risk his long - term health further for a likely losing club . Without their future Hall of Famer , the 49ers lost 11 of their last 12 games , and suffered their first losing season since 1982 . Bobb McKittrick , 49ers offensive line coach since 1979 , also died of cancer following the 1999 season . In 2002 they produced the second - greatest comeback in playoff history when Jeff Garcia led the team back from a 24 - point deficit to win 39 - 38 against the New York Giants . They lost their subsequent game to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers . This would be , to date , the last postseason appearance for the 49ers . Following the season , head coach Steve Mariucci - - whose published statements about his degree of power in the organization had frayed already - strained relations with management — was fired by John York , despite a winning record . York has since said he made the correct decision to fire Mariucci , but could have handled it better ; for instance , he admitted he should have made the announcement himself rather than hand that responsibility to general manager Terry Donahue . The replacement , former Seattle Seahawks and Oregon State University head coach Dennis Erickson was signed to a five - year contract . The hiring of Erickson was highly criticized by the fans and the media . During the coaching search , three defensive coordinator s emerged as candidates for the job , but the offensive - minded Erickson was chosen despite the fact that Erickson ' s offensive philosophy was very different from the West Coast Offense . Although they finished the 2003 season with a losing record of 7 – 9 , Erickson was retained as coach for the 2004 season . The 2003 season also marked the end for volatile wide receiver Terrell Owens with the San Francisco 49ers . Owens scored 85 touchdowns in 8 seasons for the 49ers , including 4 in the playoffs . But his on and off - field antics lead to the 49ers trading him to the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason . 2004 – 2007 . On September 26 , 2004 , the Niners were shut out 34 – 0 by the Seattle Seahawks , their first shut - out loss in 420 regular season and 36 playoff games , a league record . The last shutout had been 27 years prior in 1977 — they were defeated 7 - 0 by Atlanta at Candlestick Park . The 49ers had several chances to score in the fourth quarter , but an interception and a fumble recovery sealed their fate in this game . The 49ers finished that season with a record of 2 – 14 , and thus finished last in the NFC West division for the first time since 1979 , ending what had been the NFL ' s longest active streak for not finishing last in a division . It was also the worst record that season among the 32 NFL teams , securing them the right to the first pick in the NFL Draft . Erickson and the man who hired him , General Manager Terry Donahue , were fired . After an extensive coaching search , the 49ers announced the hiring of Mike Nolan — defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens — as their head coach for the 2005 season . He is the son of Dick Nolan , who led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances in the early 1970s . Among many NFL franchises , the general manager makes strategic , player and coaching personnel decisions ; the 49ers hired a head coach without hiring a GM , indicating that Nolan will likely exert substantial control in all of these areas . In his inaugural draft as head coach , Mike Nolan selected with the first pick of the draft quarterback Alex Smith of the University of Utah . It was a pick predicted by most , though many predicted the 49ers might select local product Aaron Rodgers of the University of California , Berkeley . Nolan had a strong personality , and he thought Smith to be cerebral , introspective , and non - confrontational . Nolan also evaluated Rodgers but did not believe that Rodgers ' attitude could co - exist with him . Tragedy struck the Niners on August 20 , 2005 , when OL Thomas Herrion died immediately following a preseason loss to the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field . Coach Mike Nolan had just finished addressing the players in the locker room when Herrion collapsed . He was taken to a local Denver hospital , where he died several hours later . An autopsy revealed that Herrion died of a heart disease , which had not been previously diagnosed . In 2005 , the 49ers finished 4th in the NFC West for the second year in a row , but were able to double their win total from 2004 , ending the season with a 4 – 12 record . They ended the season on a high note with two consecutive wins ; their first two game winning streak since 2003 . Also , they swept their division arch - rival , the St . Louis Rams for the first time since 1998 . The 49ers finished the 2006 regular season with a 7 – 9 record and 3rd in the NFC West , their fourth consecutive losing season . The team displayed vast improvement , however . The most impressive victory of the season came in the last week vs . the Denver Broncos . The 49ers managed to come back from a 13 – 0 deficit and knock Denver out of the playoffs in an OT win ( 26 – 23 ) . They also defeated division rival , and defending NFC Champion , Seattle Seahawks in both meetings on the season . At the beginning of the 2006 season , the team made perhaps their most important decision , awarding the top running back spot to second year veteran Frank Gore from Miami . Gore ran for a franchise record of 1 , 695 rushing yards , which led the NFC , along with 8 TDs . He was awarded his first Pro Bowl appearance as a starter . Before the beginning of the 2007 season , former coach Bill Walsh died of complications from leukemia . In the off - season , cornerback Nate Clements was signed as a free agent from the Buffalo Bills . Clement ' s contract was worth $ 80 million for 8 years , the largest contract given to a defensive player in NFL history at the time . In the NFL Draft that year , the 49ers made another key addition to their defense , selecting middle linebacker Patrick Willis with the 11th overall pick . Willis was named the 2007 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year . The 49ers started that season 2 – 0 , winning their first two games against the Arizona Cardinals and the St . Louis Rams . This marked the first time the 49ers started 2 – 0 since 1998 . In the fourth game of the season , against the Seattle Seahawks , QB Alex Smith suffered a separated shoulder on the third play of the game , an injury that would severely hamper his play and ultimately lead to an early end to his 2008 campaign after having shoulder surgery . Chiefly due to QB Trent Dilfer ' s struggles and Alex Smith ' s injury , the 49ers lost 8 straight games from week 3 through week 12 , ending the year with a disappointing 5 – 11 record . 2008 . In the 2008 offseason , the 49ers signed Quarterback Shaun Hill to what was to be a three - year deal . They added free agents Justin Smith , Isaac Bruce , and J . T . O ' Sullivan . Questions were raised about the future of Alex Smith , whose first three seasons had been plagued by inconsistent play , injuries , and not having had an offensive coordinator remain on the team for consecutive years . Head coach Mike Nolan and new Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz stated that a competition between Smith , Hill , and O ' Sullivan would run through the first two preseason games of 2008 , with the hope of naming a starter soon after . O ' Sullivan was named the 49ers starter because of his familiarity with the Martz offense and after performing better than Smith or Hill in the first three preseason games . On the night of October 20 , 2008 , after struggling through the beginning of the season , head coach Mike Nolan was fired . Assistant head coach Mike Singletary , a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears , was named as the interim head coach . Singletary proved to be a fan favorite when after his first game as head coach he delivered a memorable post game interview . Singletary said of their loss : " . . . right now , we ' ve got to figure out the formula . Our formula . Our formula is this : We go out , we hit people in the mouth . " . The 49ers won their final game of the 2008 season , a 27 - 24 win at home over the Washington Redskins , to end their campaign with a final record of 7 wins and 9 losses . After the game , Singletary was announced as head coach by Jed York , who had been appointed as team president just days before . Jed York is the oldest son of John York and Denise DeBartolo York ( and nephew of former team owner Edward DeBartolo Jr . ) . The team had won five of its final seven games and went 5 – 4 overall under Singletary after Nolan ' s dismissal . 2009 . On April 25 , 2009 , the 49ers selected Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft . This was the only pick on the first day of the draft for the 49ers . After selecting Crabtree , they traded their 2nd round pick along with a 4th round pick to the Carolina Panthers . From this trade they received an additional first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft . Other selections for the 49ers during the 2009 draft included Glen Coffee , Scott McKillop , Nate Davis , Bear Pascoe , Curtis Taylor , and Ricky Jean - Francois . The 2009 training camp was the first time since 2005 that the 49ers failed to have all drafted rookies signed and in training camp on time . The tenth pick of the first round , WR Michael Crabtree , reached a contract agreement with the team on October 7 , 2009 , after having missed the first four games of the regular season . After an up and down season , featuring many close games , the 49ers posted an 8 - 8 record , the team ' s first non - losing season since 2002 . Despite missing the playoffs for the seventh straight season , several key players continued to show signs of improvement . Alex Smith regained his role as the 49ers ' starting quarterback , passing for more than 2 , 000 yards with 18 touchdowns , while Frank Gore collected his fourth consecutive season with 1 , 000 or more rushing yards , a 49ers record . Safety Dashon Goldson showed signs of potential in his first year as full - time starter , as he tallied 94 tackles , 4 interceptions , 3 forced fumbles , and 2 sacks . Vernon Davis , in particular , had a breakthrough year at tight end , earning Pro Bowl honors with 965 yards and 13 touchdowns ( tying the NFL record for his position ) . 2010 saw 5 Pro - Bowl Players for the 49ers . Patrick Willis , Vernon Davis , Frank Gore , Justin Smith , and Andy Lee . 2010 . In 2010 , the 49ers selected Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis , 11th overall , and Idaho offensive guard Mike Iupati , 17th overall , in the first round . The team also selected USC safety Taylor Mays with the 49th pick of the 2nd round . Other draft picks include LB Navorro Bowman , RB Anthony Dixon , TE Nate Byham , WR Kyle Williams , and DB Phillip Adams . On May 4 , the team gave star LB Patrick Willis a five - year , $ 50 million contract extension through the 2016 season , with $ 29 million in guaranteed money . The 49ers began the 2010 season with a 0 - 5 record , their worst start since 1979 . The 49ers gained their first win of the 2010 season when they won at home against the Oakland Raiders in week 6 . After their first win they lost again to the Carolina Panthers by 3 points . They then won three out of the next four games ( against Denver Broncos 24 - 16 , St . Louis Rams 23 - 20 in overtime , 0 - 21 loss to Tampa Bay Buccaneers , win at Arizona Cardinals 27 - 6 , loss at the Green Bay Packers 34 - 16 and a divisional win over the Seattle Seahawks 40 - 21 , loss at San Diego 34 - 7 , loss at St . Louis Rams 25 - 17 ) and finished 6 - 10 with a 38 - 7 drubbing of Arizona . The win against the Rams was significant because both teams are in the same division and the Rams led that division at the time of the contest a well as their win over Seattle because of their tie with the Rams . After losing to St . Louis on December 27 , the San Francisco 49ers fired Mike Singletary as head coach and hired their Defensive Lines coach Jim Tomsula , to be interim Head Coach for the last game of the regular season ; against the Arizona Cardinals , at home . The 2010 San Francisco 49er ' s finished 3rd in the NFC West with a record of 6 - 10 . They have not made the playoffs for the past eight seasons leading back to 2002 when eliminated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . 2011 - Present . After Singletary ' s firing , searches led to Stanford Head Coach Jim Harbaugh , as well as former Denver Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels . On January 7 , 2011 , Jim Harbaugh signed a 5 - year deal to become the new head coach . Offensive Coordinator Mike Johnson , who was promoted on September 27 , 2010 after replacing Jimmy Raye signed with the UCLA bruins as Offensive Coordinator . In the 2011 Season the 49ers and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh will travel to Baltimore for a highly anticipated game against his older brother John Harbaugh , who is the head coach for the Baltimore Ravens , who compete in the AFC North . Move to Santa Clara . The 49ers sponsored " Measure J " , which appeared on the June 8 , 2010 Santa Clara , California ballot , to build a new stadium as home for 49ers in that city . The measure passed with 58 . 2 % of the total vote . This is seen as the first step for the 49ers relocation to a new venue to be built in Santa Clara , California . " Rivalries " . L . A . / St . Louis Rams . The rivalry between the St . Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers is considered by many to be one of the greatest NFL rivalries ever , placing # 8 on Sports Illustrated ' s " Top 10 NFL Rivalries Of All Time " list , compiled in 2008 . Some feel that the rivalry was more intense before the Rams moved from Los Angeles to St . Louis , as it seemed like the rivalry was coming to an end when the Rams relocated . Yet , some players did not believe so . Roger Craig stated in " Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline " that " the Rams will always be the 49ers ' biggest rival . It doesn ' t matter if they no longer play in Los Angeles . If the Rams played their home games on Mars , it would still be a rivalry . " In fact , the Rams are the only team to have played the 49ers twice every season for the last 58 seasons to combine for more than 100 regular season games . Though they have only met once in a playoff game when the 49ers beat the Rams 30 - 3 in 1989 . The series through 123 games with a record of 61 - 60 - 2 . Oakland Raiders . The 49ers have an intense Crosstown rivalry with the Oakland Raiders , games between the two are referred to as the " Battle of the Bay " . The first exhibition game played in 1967 , ended with the NFL 49ers defeating the AFL Raiders 13 - 10 . After the 1970 merger , the 49ers won in Oakland 38 - 7 . Since the two teams play in different conferences , regular - season matchups are infrequent . The two teams have played each other annually during the preseason . When they do play each other in regular - season , fans and players of the winning team can claim " bragging rights " as the better team in the bay area . Dallas Cowboys . The Dallas Cowboys have been a major rival of the 49ers . San Francisco played Dallas in seven postseason games . The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games , and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game . The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco , which saw the 49ers ' Joe Montana complete a game - winning pass to Dwight Clark in the final minute ( now known as " The Catch " ) , is one of the most famous games in NFL history . The rivalry became even more intense during the 1992 - 1994 seasons . San Francisco and Dallas faced each other in the NFC Championship Game three separate times . Dallas won the first two match - ups , and San Francisco won the third . In each of these pivotal match - ups , the game ' s victor went on to win the Super Bowl . Both the Cowboys and the 49ers are second all time in Super Bowl victories to the Pittsburgh Steelers with five each . The 49ers - Cowboys rivalry is also part of the larger cultural rivalry between California and Texas , or more specifically , the San Francisco Bay Area and the Dallas – Fort Worth metroplex . New York Giants . The 49ers have another major rivalry with the New York Giants . The Giants and 49ers have had seven playoff meetings over the last 25 years . In 1981 and 1984 , San Francisco beat the Giants , both times at Candlestick Park ( 38 - 24 and 21 - 10 respectively ) . However , New York would beat the 49ers in the 1985 and 1986 playoffs at Giants Stadium , 17 - 3 in 1985 and a 49 - 3 rout in 1986 as the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl that year . In January 1991 , the two teams met once again in the playoffs . In the 1990 NFC Championship , Matt Bahr would kick five field goals for the Giants , the Giants won 15 - 13 ending any hopes for San Francisco for a super bowl three - peat , the game is best remembered for a vicious hit by Leonard Marshall that knocked Joe Montana out of the game ( due to an unrelated elbow injury , Montana would play in only one game the next two years as a 49er ) The 49ers got their revenge in the 1993 playoffs , crushing the Giants 44 - 3 . Both teams had another classic match in Candlestick Park in the ' 02 Wildcard round . The Giants stormed to a 38 - 14 lead deep into the third quarter . The Giants defense , which had been highly ranked all year , began to collapse , and with two quick touchdowns and two successful two - point conversions followed by a field goal by the 49ers , the Giants lead was suddenly down to 38 - 33 . With one minute left to play , Jeff Garcia hit Tai Streets for a 13 - yard touchdown pass to take a 39 - 38 lead . Giants QB Kerry Collins led a drive to put the Giants at the 49ers 23 - yard line with six seconds left for a shot at a game - winning field goal . After a bad snap , holder Matt Allen attempted a desperate pass down the field , which fell incomplete . The Giants were flagged for illegal man downfield and the call ended the game . A bitter defeat for the Giants , and for the Niners , the second biggest comeback victory in NFL playoff history . The teams last played each other in 2008 , with New York beating the visiting 49ers 29 - 17 . Green Bay Packers . The Green Bay Packers are another major rival of the 49ers . In recent years , the 49ers have been on the losing end of this rivalry , having lost the last 9 regular season games against the Packers , and having an all - time post season record of 1 - 4 against Green Bay . In particular the loss to the Packers in the 1995 divisional Playoffs was bitter , as it ended hopes for a Super Bowl repeat . The lone playoff win for The 49ers came in the 1998 Wildcard game , when Steve Young completed a game - winning touchdown to Terrell Owens in the last few seconds of the game ( now known as " The Catch 2 " - - though Steve Young , in the ensuing press conference , suggested it be dubbed " The Throw " ) . Many people thought this would end the streak of futility against the Packers , but the 49ers have yet to beat them since . Arizona Cardinals . The Arizona Cardinals are a recent growing rival of the 49ers . Unlike most rivalries of this team , the Arizona Cardinals is in the same division as the 49ers ( since 2002 , when the Cardinals transferred from the NFC East ) . Recently , there has been much bad blood between these two team ' s players , an example of this is a Twitter battle between Darnell Dockett of the Arizona Cardinals and Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers . The clash of words between players of both teams added with the decline of the other major rivalries of the 49ers , either from the rarity of meeting the rival teams ( 49ers rarely meet the Cowboys ) or the move to different cities ( Los Angeles Rams moving to St . Louis ) has led to the rivalry between the 49ers and the Cardinals becoming heated and intense . The 49ers currently hold the edge over the Cardinals all - time 23 wins to 16 losses . Seattle Seahawks . The Seattle Seahawks have also become a new rival of the 49ers , following the NFL ' s realignment in 2002 that put both teams in the same division . Until then , the teams played each other almost every season during the pre - season , but only every 3 years during the regular season when the AFC West and NFC West teams faced each other . So far , their rivalry has not been as intense as other division foes because for the most part both teams have not been good at the same time . In the early to mid part of the decade , the Seahawks ruled the division and their favorable record against the 49ers reflected this . In recent years , as the Seahawks have faded the 49ers have enjoyed more success than in earlier years . Still the 49ers trail the overall series between the 2 teams 13 - 11 , a mark they hope to overcome in the future . New stadium . On November 8 , 2006 , reports surfaced that the 49ers ended negotiations with the city of San Francisco about building a new stadium and plan to move to Santa Clara , 30 miles south of San Francisco ; Santa Clara already hosts the team ' s administrative headquarters and training facility . The Yorks and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom had been talking over the last few months about building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point that was going to be part of the city ' s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics . The 49ers ' decision ended the Olympic bid . San Francisco , Los Angeles , and Chicago were the three cities competing to be the U . S . Olympic Committee ' s choice to bid on the 2016 games , with Chicago emerging as the eventual victor . The team ' s current lease at Candlestick Park could extend through 2013 . On the 49ers website , owner John York had a letter stating that after a move to Santa Clara , the team would retain its name " San Francisco 49ers " . York later confirmed in a press conference on November 9 that the team would move to Santa Clara with plans to build a state of the art stadium without a shopping mall in time for the 2015 season . Bold - inducted as a 49er . During his tenure with the 49ers from 2006 – 2007 , quarterback Trent Dilfer wore # 12 , unofficially unretiring QB John Brodie ' s number . Friend of Brodie , Dilfer wore the # 12 as a tribute to the former 49ers great . Players . 49ers Hall of Fame . The Edward J . DeBartolo , Sr . 49ers Hall of Fame is the team ' s official hall of honor for the franchise ' s greatest players . As of late 2010 , the inductees are : Forty - Niner Ten Year Club . The 10 - Year Club is a shrine that honors members of the San Francisco 49ers who played 10 or more seasons with the organization , and is suspected to have been started by Bill Walsh to recognize players that have shown longevity , success and consistency . Each member is shown in a black and white photo on a scarlet and gold plaque with their name under the photo and the years in which they played . A plaque placed in the center of the photos of club members reads : “ Forty - Niner Ten Year Club . Dedicated to those Forty - Niners , who have served ten or more years proudly wearing the scarlet and gold . ” 1950 ’ s : Joe Perry , 1948 – 60 , 1963 . Leo Nomellini , 1950 - 63 . Y . A . Tittle , 1951 - 60 . Billy Wilson , 1951 - 60 . Bob St . Clair , 1953 - 64 . Matt Hazeltine , 1955 - 68 . Bruce Bosley , 1956 - 68 . John Brodie , 1957 - 73 . John Thomas , 1958 - 67 . 1960 ’ s : Tommy Davis , 1959 - 69 . Charlie Krueger , 1959 - 73 . Len Rohde , 1960 - 74 . Roland Lakes , 1959 - 73 . Jimmy Johnson , 1961 - 76 . Dave Wilcox , 1964 - 74 . Mel Phillips , 1966 - 76 . Frank Nunley , 1967 - 76 . 1970 ’ s : Woody Peoples , 1968 - 77 . Randy Cross , 1976 - 88 . John Ayers , 1976 - 86 . Ray Wersching , 1977 - 87 . Cas Banaszek , 1968 - 77 . Tommy Hart , 1968 - 77 . Skip Vanderbundt , 1968 - 77 . Cedrick Hardman , 1970 - 79 . Willie Harper , 1973 - 83 . Keith Fahnhorst , 1974 - 87 . 1980 ’ s : Mike Walter , 1984 - 93 . Jesse Sapolu , 1983 - 97 . Guy McIntyre , 1984 - 93 . Jerry Rice , 1985 - 00 . John Taylor , 1986 - 95 . Steve Wallace , 1986 - 96 . Fred Quillan , 1978 - 87 . Dwaine Board , 1979 - 88 . Eric Wright , 1981 - 90 . Ronnie Lott , 1981 - 90 . Keena Turner , 1980 - 90 . Mike Wilson , 1981 - 90 . Joe Montana , 1979 - 92 . 1990 ’ s : Steve Young , 1987 - 99 . Harris Barton , 1987 - 98 . Brent Jones , 1987 - 97 . 2000 ’ s : Bryant Young , 1994 - 2007 . Jeff Ulbrich , 2000 - 2009 . Derrick Deese , 1992 – 2003 , Brian Jennings 2000 - 2010 . Radio and television . The 49ers ' flagship radio stations are KSAN 107 . 7 FM ( " The Bone " ) , KNBR 680 AM , and KTCT 1050 AM . KSAN airs all 49ers games on FM . On AM , they are simulcast on KTCT in August , September , and October and on KNBR from October to the end of the season . All three stations are owned by Cumulus Media . Joe Starkey , best known as the voice of the University of California and The Play , was previously the color commentator on the broadcasts next to legendary announcer Lon Simmons in 1987 and 1988 and took over as lead commentator in 1989 . Lon Simmons and Gordy Soltau did the broadcasts on KSFO in the 1950s and 1960s . For a brief period in the late 1970s and early 1980s Don Kline , the " Voice of Stanford " did the 49er games . Starkey first teamed with former Detroit Lions and KPIX Sports Director , Wayne Walker and then former 49ers linebacker Gary Plummer formed the broadcast team from 1998 to 2008 , with Starkey retiring after the 2008 season . Ted Robinson will replace Starkey and team up with Plummer for the 2009 season . Most preseason games are telecast on KPIX , channel 5 , with announcers Dennis O ' Donnell and Eric Davis . Regular season games are mostly broadcast locally on FOX ( KTVU ) , though some home games are broadcast on CBS ( KPIX ) if the opponent is from the AFC . Nationally televised night games on Sunday Night Football ( NBC ) and Monday Night Football ( ESPN ) , as well as Thursday night special games ( NFL Network ) , are also occasionally played ( though the number of these broadcasts is dependent on the 49ers ' success from the previous season . )