Ex-49ers coach Jim Tomsula named Coach of the Year after guiding Rhein Fire to European championship

Former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula has guided the Rhein Fire to a European League of Football championship. The 49ers named Tomsula their head coach in 2015 after the firing of Jim Harbaugh. His tenure lasted just one season as San Francisco went 5-11 that season.

Chip Kelly replaced Tomsula in 2016, who also lasted just one season. Kyle Shanahan has been the 49ers head coach since 2017.

Tomsula went on to serve as the defensive line coach for Washington (2017-19) and the Dallas Cowboys (2020) before being named the new Rhein Fire head coach last year. It was a reunion with the team he coached in 2006, when the Rhein Fire were a part of NFL Europe.

Tomsula guided his European team to a 7-5 record last year. This year, he went 12-0 during the regular season and won the two home playoff games, including Sunday's 53-34 victory over the Stuttgart Surge. The Rhein Fire averaged 27 points per game this season.

Tomsula was named Coach of the Year.