The San Francisco 49ers are one of the NFL’s most successful franchises. The team’s run during the 80s and 90s made them popular among fans as the brand began to grow and they developed into one of the league’s legacy organizations.
Owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. took over the team in 1977. The 49ers went 7-23 during DeBartolo’s first two seasons at the helm, which prompted him to make significant changes.
DeBartolo made the best hire of his tenure when he signed Bill Walsh as head coach. Walsh had spent the previous two seasons in the collegiate ranks with Stanford.