Jim Harbaugh ... and the Niners!

2011–present: Jim Harbaugh era

In 2011, Jim Harbaugh was named the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

On January 4, 2011, Jed York promoted interim General Manager Trent Baalke to be the permanent GM. Baalke had taken over the role after former GM Scot McCloughan was relieved of his duties the year before. Two days later, on January 7, 2011, former head coach of Stanford University Jim Harbaugh was named the 49ers new head coach.^[7] In the 2011 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected defensive end/linebacker Aldon Smith from the University of Missouri with the seventh pick of the first round.
After the end of a labor dispute that nearly threatened to postpone or cancel the 2011 season the 49ers made a controversial decision to re-sign Alex Smith to a one-year $4.8 million contract.^[8] Because of the decision to retain Smith, and a shortened offseason with an entirely new coaching staff being hired, the team was expected to be among the league's worst by NFL prognosticators. Despite this, Harbaugh's first season was a huge success. After 10 weeks, was 9–1, highlighted by road wins against the Philadelphia Eagles, where the team came back from a 20-point deficit in the second half, and the previously unbeaten Detroit Lions. The 49ers defense became one of the most intimidating in the league, particularly against the run - not allowing a 100-yard rusher or a single rushing touchdown until week 16 of the regular season. Alex Smith blossomed in the new system, reviving his career while playing for yet another new offensive coordinator - his sixth in six years. In week 13 the 49ers won the NFC West with a victory against the St. Louis Rams, finally ending their nine-year playoff drought. The 49ers finished the season with a 13–3 record, earning the second overall seed in the NFC Playoffs. In the Divisional Playoffs they defeated the New Orleans Saints 36–32 after a touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis in the closing seconds of the game. The team reached the NFC Championship for the first time since 1997, and faced the New York Giants. But they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions with a 20–17 score in overtime after two critical fumbles by back up return man Kyle Williams, ending their 2011–2012 season with disappointment but great promise.
During the off-season, the 49ers retained all eleven starters on their top ranked defense, re-signed Alex Smith to a 3 year, $24 million contract, and retooled their struggling receiving corps by signing veteran receiver Randy Moss, former NY Giant Mario Manningham, and drafting A. J. Jenkins with the 30th overall pick. The 49ers started the season with a 6-2 record. In Week 10, with a 7-2 record, league-leading QB Alex Smith suffered a concussion in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams. He stayed in the game long enough to throw a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree despite blurred vision, then left for good. He was replaced by second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick who was drafted by the 49ers in the second round in 2011. The game ended in a 24–24 tie (the 49ers' first tie game since 1986). The concussion caused Smith to miss the following game, in which Kaepernick went 16 for 23 for 243 yards with two touchdowns and a 32–7 win over the Chicago Bears.^[9] Harbaugh was impressed with Kaepernick, enough to ignore his rule that no player should lose his starting job due to an injury.^[10][11] A quarterback controversy began. Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating (104.1), led the league in completion percentage (70%), and had been 19–5–1 as a starter under Harbaugh, while Kaepernick was more dynamic, with a very strong and accurate arm combined with a running ability rarely seen in quarterbacks.^[12][13] Smith was medically cleared to play the day before the following game, but Harbaugh chose to start Kaepernick, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another in a 31–21 win over New Orleans.^[14][15] The following week, Harbaugh announced that Kaepernick would start for the 8–2–1 49ers.^[16] The 49ers finished the regular season 11-4-1 and went into the playoffs as the second seed in the NFC for the second straight year. In their first game in the 2012 playoffs the 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers 45-31, with Kaepernick overcoming an interception for a touchdown on the 4th play of the game, coming back to light up the field not only with his arm (17/31, 263 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) but also with an astounding 181 yards rushing, the most for a quarterback in NFL history (regular season or playoffs) and the most for any 49er ever. They advanced to NFC Championship for the second straight year. On January 20, 2013, the 49ers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 as the NFC Champions to advance to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, facing the Baltimore Ravens, who are coached by Jim's brother John. It will be the first time that the Super Bowl teams will be coached by brothers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_49ers