Often overlooked as a head coach, George Seifert put up some very good numbers in what was a relatively short time as an NFL head coach when compared to many others. The biggest criticism of Seifert is that most of his accomplishments came with a team the was built by his predecessor and NFL legend Bill Walsh. While this may be somewhat true, there are many instances in the history of professional sports where a succeeding coach does not build on the successes of his immediate predecessor.

Here are a few facts regarding George Seifert:

-Despite Bill Walsh’s presence in the Hall of Fame, and his status as one of the best coaches the NFL has ever seen, it is George Seifert who holds the 49ers team record for most wins by a head coach. He accumulated 98 wins in only eight seasons while Walsh put up 92 wins in ten seasons.

-During all eight seasons that George Seifert was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, the team never won fewer than ten games.

-It was during Seifert’s time as 49ers head coach that the organization had to navigate the difficult process of transitioning from one superstar quarterback (Joe Montana) to another (Steve Young).

-Through the eight seasons that Seifert was the head coach of the 49ers, the team ranked first in the league in scoring five different times, including a string of four straight years (1992-95).

George Seifert was much more than just the guy that kept doing what Bill Walsh had started. For eight seasons in San Francisco he was the head coach of one of the best teams the league has ever seen. He kept them at this high level through difficult times and deserves much more respect than he gets.