Technically, the 49ers’ hiring of Jim Tomsula marks his second stint as the club’s head coach. Tomsula closed out the 2010 campaign as the interim boss, leading San Francisco to a season-ending victory vs. Arizona. The 46-year-old Tomsula is the first coach in Niners history to have two separate stints — interim or full-time — leading the club.
While it’s rare for a coach to have multiple opportunities to lead the same NFL team, it’s not unprecedented, with Washington’s Joe Gibbs a notable recent example. Also, coaching legends like Chicago’s George Halas and Minnesota’s Bud Grant also had at least two head-coaching stints with their clubs.
Per the NFL Record and Fact Book, here are the other coaches who had at least two tours at the helm of the same team:
AFC
Buffalo Bills
Lou Saban — 1962-65; 1972-76.
Harvey Johnson — 1968; 1971.
Houston Oilers (Tennessee Titans)
Wally Lemm — 1961; 1966-70.
Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
Art Shell — 1989-94; 2006.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Bach — 1935-36; 1952-53.
Walt Kiesling — 1939-40; 1941-44; 1954-56.
San Diego Chargers
Sid Gillman — 1960-69; 1971.
NFC
Atlanta Falcons
Marion Campbell — 1974-76; 1987-89.
Chicago Bears
George Halas — 1920-29; 1933-42; 1946-55; 1958-67.
Chicago (Arizona) Cardinals
Ernie Nevers — 1931; 1939.
Jimmy Conzelman — 1940-42; 1946-48.
Phil Handler — 1943-45; 1949; 1951.
Detroit Lions
George “Potsy” Clark — 1931-36; 1940.
Green Bay Packers
Ray “Scooter” McLean — 1953; 1958.
Los Angeles (St. Louis) Rams
Chuck Knox — 1973-77; 1992-94.
Minnesota Vikings
Bud Grant — 1967-83; 1985.
Washington
Joe Gibbs — 1981-1992; 2004-2007.
