ESPN Search

In eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Alex Smith has played for three head coaches, seven offensive coordinators and six quarterbacks coaches (seven if you count Pep Hamilton, who helped Jim Hostler coach the position in 2006). These many...

Mike Nolan knows a thing or two about the San Francisco 49ers. His father coached the team and he did, too. And now, he'll try to keep them out of the Super Bowl.

2012 Playing Time for Nolan Picks Draft Player Pct. 2007 Tarell Brown 97.4 2007 Dashon Goldson 96.9 2007 Joe Staley 95.5 2007 Patrick Willis 93.0 2006 Vernon Davis 91.3 2007 Ray Mc...

Five things to know about the San Francisco 49ers' matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday in the Georgia Dome: 1. QB matchup. The 49ers' Colin Kaepernick ranked third and the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan ranked fo...

The San Francisco 49ers have not drafted a true 3-4 defensive lineman since 2009. They've taken outside linebackers such as Aldon Smith. They've taken a college defensive end and turned him into a fullback (Bruce Miller). 2005-2012 49ers D...

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 3: Playing to their strengths: The Arizona Cardinals went into this season feeling as though their defense, special teams and rushing attack could carry them as long as the team reduced turnovers at quarterback...

Alex Smith repeatedly set aside his pride during seven seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. It's good to see him make an exception when warranted. Smith's free-agent visit to the Miami Dolphins might look like an attempt by that organization t...

Count Frank Cignetti's expected hiring as quarterbacks coach in St. Louis as the latest career parallel between the Rams' Sam Bradford and the San Francisco 49ers' Alex Smith. Both were No. 1 overall draft choices. Both began their careers unde...

The Atlanta Falcons hired former San Francisco coach Mike Nolan as their defensive coordinator on Wednesday, hoping he can toughen up a unit that has rarely ranked among the NFL elite.

Gregg Williams is expected to become Jeff Fisher's defensive coordinator with the St. Louis Rams, sources say.

NFL coaches and personnel people tend to be very much attuned to the credit/blame handed out for putting together their teams. They should be. Their jobs often hang in the balance. Terry Donahue, Steve Mariucci, Scot McCloughan, Mike Nolan, Mik...

The lockout has come at a good time for NFC West alumni Oshiomogho Atogwe and Mike Singletary. AtogweNeither will have to worry about football matters intervening when Atogwe, late of the St. Louis Rams, marries Jill Singletary, whose famous fathe...

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee provides one more piece of evidence affirming Alex Smith's intentions to re-sign with the San Francisco 49ers. Barrows: "Smith, who is an unrestricted free agent, spoke publicly for the first time since the 2010 sea...

New San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has repeatedly offered praise for quarterback Alex Smith. The two have met several times, leaving the rest of us to focus on whether bringing back Smith could make sense for the 49ers heading into an unce...

DALLAS -- Sixteen years have passed since Steve Young defined his legacy while leading the San Francisco 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl championship. The 49ers haven't been back to a Super Bowl since and they haven't even sniffed the playoffs sin...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- New head coaches sometimes "lay down the law" to take control of their teams. Mike Singletary went this route upon taking over for Mike Nolan as the San Francisco 49ers' coach during the 2008 season. Singletary put players thr...