Although the 49ers missed the playoffs again after finishing with a 5-11 record, Nolan and his assistants will once again be coaching at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., according to 49ers.com.

It is the third straight season in which Nolan and his staff will have coached the all-star game, which will be played on Jan. 26 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

The Senior Bowl works with the NFL to select coaching staffs for the two teams of top NFL Draft prospects.

"I think coaching the Senior Bowl is a great opportunity and a blessing for the entire San Francisco 49ers organization," Nolan said on the team's Web site. "It's the best way to evaluate players that I've come to know. I think it's an exciting game, and it's an exciting bunch of players. 95 or 100 percent of the players make a team in the NFL, so that's huge."

The 49ers served as coaches in this game the past two years and have selected many players from this game.

In 2007, the 49ers selected six Senior Bowl players in the draft, more than any other NFL team. That group included both of their 2007 first-round draft picks in linebacker Patrick Willis, named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year on Friday, and offensive lineman Joe Staley.

The staff also directly worked with third-round pick Ray McDonald while having additional interaction with some of their eventual picks in Jason Hill (third round), Jay Moore (fourth) and Thomas Clayton (sixth) who played on the North squad.

In 2006, the 49ers also drafted four players out of the nation's top bowl game in Parys Haralson, Marcus Hudson, Manny Lawson and Michael Robinson.

"For us to have an opportunity to coach those guys and evaluate them first-hand in meetings, get to know them, eat with them and do all those things for an entire week puts us one up in the evaluation process" Nolan said. "Last year we had a chance to get a close look at both of our first round picks in Patrick Willis and Joe Staley. It is just a great opportunity."