Posted at 3:54 p.m., Wednesday, January 30, 2008
NFL: 49ers promote Ted Tollner to quarterbacks coach
Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers made Ted Tollner their quarterbacks coach today, promoting the veteran assistant who gave a boost to the club's struggling offense late last year.Tollner's new title also includes a designation as "assistant to the head coach," Mike Nolan. San Francisco also hired Adam Gase as an offensive assistant.
Tollner, the former USC coach and longtime NFL offensive assistant, rejoined the 49ers' staff in late November for the final six games. He was an assistant to rookie offensive coordinator Jim Hostler, who was replaced by Mike Martz earlier this month after San Francisco finished with the league's worst offense.
Tollner was on the 49ers' coaching staff from 2002-04, with two seasons as quarterbacks coach and one year as offensive coordinator. He spent the following year as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions, who dismissed coach Steve Mariucci and eventually replaced Tollner with Martz, who was fired after last season.
Gase also spent the last five seasons on the Detroit staff.
Tollner and Martz will be in charge of fixing the offense that finished last in the NFL last season in points (219), total yards (3,797), yards passing (2,320), offensive touchdowns (23), first downs (218), sacks allowed (55) and third-down conversions (31.4 percent). Quarterbacks Alex Smith and Shaun Hill are expected to compete for the starting job.
