The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Steve Mariucci enter the 2000 NFL season without that one thing that has separated them from others over the years: Super Bowl expectations.
For nearly two decades, the team's players, coaches, and fans have expected every year to make it to the Super Bowl
Those expectations have lessened, partly because quarterback Steve Young has retired, but also because unproven rookies are replacing dependable veterans that the team couldn't afford to keep.
"We don't have the kind of money to bring in those types of guys to help win championships," Mariucci said in a press gathering Friday at the Governor's Mansion.
Mariucci was the keynote speaker at the University of Nevada's annual Governor's Dinner, a fund-raiser which benefits the Wolf Pack's athletics department.
Mariucci still plans to continue to keep the team's rich tradition and standards high despite its youthful look.
"I want to get back to the playoffs," Mariucci said. "Maybe we won't do it with household names, but we're going for it."
The team brought 62 rookies to their rookie camp, an extraordinary amount considering the team only carries 80 players on its roster. But Mariucci thinks draft picks like Michigan State's Julian Peterson and Ohio State's Ahmed Plummer should make an immediate impact.
"I'm not going to set a limit on our team, because we are young," Mariucci said. "The young kids we brought in are bound and determined to wear a couple rings."
The 49ers training camp starts Aug. 15 in Stockton, Calif., while the first full team practice will be on Aug. 19. The 49ers will start training camp without Young for the first time since 1987, when the future Hall of Fame signal caller was a rookie.
Mariucci said Jeff Garcia is the starting quarterback for now, which might make some 49er fans cringe. Garcia struggled after he replaced Young in Week 3 last season, and he was in and out of the starting role all season.
"Jeff's had a terrific off season and is much more ready to do this than last year," Mariucci said. "I think he'll be a fine quarterback for us."
In 1997, Mariucci became only the 13th coach since 1970 to lead a team to a division title in his first NFL season. However, that team was made up of talented veterans, while this year's team should present more of a coaching challenge.
"There are two separate challenges in coaching a veteran team and a younger team, then blending them together," Mariucci said. "We're going to find out if we can coach."