In a career that has spanned from the Pennsylvania high school ranks to his first collegiate job as a strength and conditioning coach at the NCAA Division II level to eventual NFL head coach, Jim Tomsula has crafted another chapter in his distinguished coaching journey.
The former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, who also served as an NFL assistant for nearly 15 years, Tomsula just guided his Rhein Fire to the 2023 European League of Football championship.
As the Fire capped their unblemished, 12-0 campaign by dismantling the Stuttgart Surge, 53-34, Tomsula also was tabbed as the European League's top coach.
Though Tomsula had some early days coaching at the collegiate level, including his start at tiny Catawba College following his playing career there, Tomsula mostly has worked across three decades at the professional level.
In addition to his stints as an NFL assistant with the 49ers, then-Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys, Tomsula also first gained notoriety for his work in NFL Europe.
Tomsula's stops in NFLE included time with the London Monarchs, Scottish Claymores and Berlin Thunder before his first time atop the Rhein franchise in 2006 opened his first NFL opportunity, with San Francisco, the following season.
Tomsula returned to lead the Rhein team in 2022, and after he posted an initial 7-5 ledger in his return, Tomsula helped the Fire break through for the championship last weekend.