CBS SportsLine
Chat Transcript
March 15, 1998

San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci stopped by to chat with CBS SportsLine fans on March 15, 1998.

Find out what Coach had to say in the full transcript of his chat below.

Question: Coach, please tell us about the status of Jerry Rice's recovery?

CoachMariucci: Jerry Rice is doing great! For a guy who's supposed to be re-habbing his knee, he showed up at our first mini-camp and started practicing. This a guy who's used to having such a rigorous routine. There's this hill that he used to run uphill sprints on every morning - uphill! Well, he's back on that hill again. I'm sure we'll see Jerry at our next mini-camp the week after next.

Question: How is Steve Young?

CoachMariucci: Steve is doing great and is enjoying the off-season, but he's anxious. He's anxious to start playing again. He just called me and, of course, he asked me what we were working on offensively. :)

Question: What's the latest on Jamie Brown? Did you sign him yet?

CoachMariucci: No, we haven't signed him. In fact, he's on the phone right now talking to his wife about everthing. If something happens during this chat, I'll be sure to let you all know.

Question: How do you feel about the loss of Gary Plummer?

CoachMariucci: Gary Plummer is another good player that we lost due to retirement. What a tremendous career! He walks on at Cal signs in NFL as a free agent. We're certainly going to miss him.

Question: Coach, what position on the team is the weakest?

CoachMariucci: I'd say kicker. We don't have one at all. We still feel that we need to draft another linebacker to back up Tubbs.

Question: How excited are you about Tubbs?

CoachMariucci: Tubbs (160 tackles last year for the Saints) has tremendous talent. We're very excited. We feel we have a very strong group of linebackers now.

Question: Coach, do you still keep in touch with Brett Favre?

CoachMariucci: Yes, we still keep in touch. I just saw him in Orlando recently. He was in town for some charity event. My wife and I got together with Brett and his agent for dinner one night.

Question: Was it disappointing to have to let Kevin Greene go?

CoachMariucci: Yes, I really enjoyed having Kevin Greene on the team. He was a great acquisition for us (10 1/2 sacks). Good chemistry. Team guy. Very positive. A Real Pro. Whe we waived him, he understood. He told me "Coach, I just have to play for a 3-4 team." He was a bit out of his comfort zone with our scheme. He still has some years left.

Question: How bad do you want a Super Bowl championship?

CoachMariucci: That's been my goal in life since I started coaching 20 years ago. We were one game away from it last season. It's a reasonable goal, but a lofty goal. We're close. Everything that we do here, at this organization, how we think, the way we work, is how to win the Supre Bowl. And, when the day comes and we do win it, then we'll work on winning another one. It's kind of like I've been passed the baton from George and Bill. We've got to find a way to win another. That's the challenge. That's our goal.

Question: Is the upcoming draft very important since the team has gone through so much in the off-season?

CoachMariucci: While we have lost players through free agency and retirment, we have acquired a lot of good players. On draft weekend, we'll try to grab a few more. We're very optimisitic and anxoius. Scott Frost is a gem. He's a winner and an athlete. And then, it's up to the team to plug him into a spot where he can contribute. Some say he may be the Lynch type who ends up playing at secondary like a safety. He's a guy who will be taken and made into a real contributor.

Question: What is like when you were named the head coach of the 49ers?

CoachMariucci: Wow! That's what is was like. My second thought after "Wow!" was "This was not supposed to happen just yet." So, I was thrilled! Surprised, but honored and thrilled and anxious to see if we could win anothe Super Bowl.

Question: What do you say to people who say the 49ers have no competition in the NFC West?

CoachMariucci: Well, we won all of our games in the NFC West. We also beat Denver, Dallas and Philly. The NFC West has been criticized as not being as strong. For the most part, NFC West is strong on defense. The lack of a very experienced QB has hurt some NFC teams. You talk about Tony Banks who's going to through growing pains. But, he'll be a good QB. Collins is still a young, good QB and very capable. I think that was one of the reasons. And, offensively they wren't quite as productive as others. They'll all be stronger and better next year.

CoachMariucci: That wraps things up for me, folks. Thank you all for joining me today. I have to go now to see about Jamie Brown.