The 49ers begin their run in 1946 in the championship of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), having been founded two years earlier. In 1950 they would join the NFL after the dissolution of the AAFC. In their early years in the NFL they failed to stand out, despite having some good players. Their fortunes changed when the franchise passed to Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. He was determined to make the team successful and the 49ers dynasty began with the hiring of Bill Walsh as head coach and the arrival of many talented players such as Joe Montana, Dwight Clark, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott. Under Bill Walsh they will win three Super Bowls, in 1981, 1984 and 1988. After his third championship, Bill Walsh retires and the team's defensive coordinator, George Seifert, takes over. He will continue the successful recipe of his predecessor and the 49ers would bring San Francisco two more Super Bowl titles, in 1989 and 1994. Since then, the 49ers have not won the Super Bowl again, but have come very close with two more final appearances in 2012 and 2019.