Jim Tomsula is an American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 coach. He was the interim head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 for the San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

 of the National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

.

Coaching career

Tomsula was previously the defensive line coach for the Scottish Claymores

Scottish Claymores

The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...

. He was successful in NFL Europe

NFL Europe

NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...

 as the head coach of the Rhein Fire

Rhein Fire

The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...

. Two current National Football League

National Football League

The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...

 offensive linemen, Harvey Dahl

Harvey Dahl

Harvey Dahl is an American football guard for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

 and Tony Wragge

Tony Wragge

Tony James Wragge is an American football guard for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2002...

, played under Tomsula when he coached the Rhein Fire.

Tomsula was hired as the defensive line coach of the San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...

 on January 16, 2007. He was named the 49ers' interim head coach on December 27, 2010, following the firing of former head coach Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary

Michael "Mike" Singletary is an American football coach and former professional football player. He is currently the linebacker coach and assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL....

. He won his first (and only) game as 49ers coach, 38-7 over the Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

. Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh

James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...

 retained Tomsula in his previous position as defensive line coach following Harbaugh's hire as the 49ers head coach.

Personal

Tomsula resides in San Jose, California

San Jose, California

San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...

with his wife, Julie, their daughters Britney and Brooke, and son James Bear.

Tomsula is known to local media and others in the NFL to be particularly self-deprecating and humble. Asked to describe himself in a news conference after being named 49ers interim head coach, 'I’m a football coach. I’m 'Jim Nobody from Nowhere'.' Asked about his 'uncertain future' past head coaching the last game of the 2010 season for the 49ers, Tomsula repled, 'My family is not going to starve, and if my wife has stayed with me for the last 19 years, she’s not going anywhere. So I’m good.'