 Tomsula with theWashington Redskins in 2017 | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1968-04-14)April 14, 1968 (age 57) Homestead, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Munhall (PA) Steel Valley |
| College | Catawba |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | NFL: 6–11–0 (.353) NFL Europe: 6–4 (.600) ELF: 19–5 (.792) |
| Postseason | ELF: 2–0 (1.000) |
| Career | NFL: 6–11–0 (.353) NFL Europe: 6–4 (.600) ELF: 21–5 (.808) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
James Andrew Tomsula (born April 14, 1968)[1][2] is an Americanfootball coach. Serving as a defensive coach throughout his career, Tomsula has also been the head coach for theRhein Fire ofNFL Europe and theSan Francisco 49ers of theNational Football League (NFL). He was born and raised in thePittsburgh suburb ofHomestead. AttendingCatawba College, Tomsula playeddefensive end from 1987 to 1990, after transferring fromMiddle Tennessee State University after the 1986 season. At Catawba College, he made 109 tackles in two seasons.[3]
Tomsula began his coaching career as a strength and conditioning coach at Catawba College in 1989. After serving as an assistant coach at Charleston Southern under defensive coordinator Fred Hamilton from 1992 to 1995, Tomsula returned to Catawba College, where he was a member of the coaching staff until 2005 and helped lead the Catawba Indians to fourSouth Atlantic Conference Championships. Tomsula was inducted into theCatawba College Sports Hall of Fame 2015.[3]
Tomsula was an assistant for several years inNFL Europe. He was the defensive line coach for theLondon Monarchs in 1998 and for theScottish Claymores from 1999 to 2003. In 2004, Tomsula became the defensive coordinator for theBerlin Thunder, a position he held for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Tomsula became the head coach of theRhein Fire for the2006 season. That year, the Fire would finish the season with a 6–4 record but did not qualify for the playoffs.
In 2007, theSan Francisco 49ers hired Tomsula to serve as their defensive line coach and he remained in that role through the 2014 season.[4] During the 2010 season, Tomsula was named interim head coach for the regular-season finale against theArizona Cardinals after head coachMike Singletary was fired.[5] Tomsula won his head coaching debut 38–7.[6] For the 2011 season, incoming new head coachJim Harbaugh retained Tomsula in his previous position as defensive line coach, where Tomsula remained through all four seasons of the Harbaugh era.
On January 14, 2015, Tomsula became the 49ers' head coach,[7] succeeding Jim Harbaugh, who had been fired by 49ers CEOJed York.[8]
Tomsula employed new coaching practices, which included giving his players breaks to check social media during meetings, shorter and easier practices,[9] and more days off.[10] The result was one of the worst offenses in team history. Scoring only 238 points,[11] the 49ers struggled to a 5–11 season, with quarterbackColin Kaepernick ending the season on injured reserve after being benched.[12]
On January 3, 2016, Tomsula was fired just a few hours after the regular-season finale against theSt. Louis Rams, which the 49ers won 19–16 in overtime.[13] A few days later, York confirmed that the 49ers would pay Tomsula $14 million for his lone season as head coach.[14]
On January 23, 2017, Tomsula was hired as defensive line coach for theWashington Redskins.[15] In 2020, with the hiring of new head coachRon Rivera, Tomsula was free to find a job elsewhere.
On January 8, 2020, Tomsula was hired as the defensive line coach for theDallas Cowboys.[16] He reunited with defensive coordinatorMike Nolan who was his head coach with theSan Francisco 49ers. Tomsula faced heavy restrictions due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in terms of physical contact with the players, their availability due to a positive test forCOVID-19 or having been exposed to someone who had it, a reducedtraining camp schedule and the cancellation of preseason games, which made it difficult to implement the new defensive scheme. To make matters worse, most of the free agent signings for the defense were ineffective. The team would finish with a losing record (6-10), while the defensive unit allowed the most points in franchise history (473), finishing 31st in the league in run defense (158.8 YPG), 28th in scoring defense (29.6 PPG) and 20th in sacks (31). On January 8, 2021, he was fired along with defensive coordinator Nolan.[17]
In the 2022 preseason, the management of the newRhein Fire announced that Tomsula would be the first head coach for the upcoming season of theEuropean League of Football.[18] In their inaugural season, Tomsula coached the expansion Rhein Fire to a 7–5 record, the second best in the Southern Conference though the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. In 2023, Rhein finished the regular season 12–0, and Tomsula earned a nomination for Coach of the Year.[19] Tomsula did not return as the Fire coach in 2025.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| RF | 2006 | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 3rd place | – | – | – | – |
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| SF* | 2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 3rd in NFC West | – | – | – | – |
| SF | 2015 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .316 | 4th in NFC West | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | – | – | – | |||
*Interim head coach
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| RF | 2022 | 7 | 5 | 0 | .583 | 2nd in Southern Conference | – | – | – | – |
| RF | 2023 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st in Eastern Conference | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | ELF Champion |
| RF | 2024 | 11 | 1 | 0 | .917 | 1st in Western Conference | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | ELF Champion |
| Total | 30 | 6 | 0 | .833 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
Tomsula's grandfather, James J. Tomsula (1916–2012), was a son of immigrants fromHungary and served in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II.[20][21] He is a devoutRoman Catholic, butdoes not push his views on others, stating: "God takes care of everything...I don't give anyone religion lessons."[22]
Tomsula has worked as a medical equipment sales representative, newspaper delivery man, firefighter, night janitor, firewood cutter, department store floor cleaner, food sales representative, and doormat salesman.[23]