It wasn’t that long ago that the 49ers were a 2-14 team ending the 2016 season with little in the way of hope, leading the organization to move on from both head coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke.
The men chosen to replace them, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, engineered an impeccable turnaround - culminating with a 13-3 season, the No. 1 seed in the NFC Playoffs, and now a chance to capture the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl title Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
While the roster has been completely revamped outside of a few holdovers, the presence of San Francisco’s dynamic duo atop the front office has left a remarkable impact on the organization.
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“Again, I think it starts with culture,” 49ers CEO Jed York told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kelli Johnson at the NFL Honors show in Miami. “Once you add talent and you get a little bit of luck in there, then you have an opportunity to be here. And when you have the opportunity, you have got to make the most of it and I hope we finish it.”
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After a span of 14 years in which the 49ers won five Super Bowls between 1982-1995, the team hasn’t won the big one since. Something that York, who has been apart of the organization his entire life, takes to heart.
“I mean it would mean the world,” York said. “That’s what we fight for, that’s what we sacrifice for, and I hope that we can pull it out tomorrow.”
San Francisco 49ers
It’s safe to say 49ers fans feel the same way, as Super Bowl LIV now stands less than 24 hours from kickoff.