CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Even now, sitting in the vast visiting locker room at Ericsson Stadium, the past haunts George Seifert. In some ways, even though he rejects the premise, the future will define his glorious work in San Francisco.

	NEAR-PERFECT 10
	A look at NFL coaches with the best regular-season winning percentages:
	1. George Seifert	108-35	.755
	2. Vince Lombardi	105-35	.740
	3. John Madden	112-39-7	.731
	4. Joe Gibbs	140-65	.683
	5. George Allen	118-54-5	.681
	6. George Halas	324-151-31	.671
	7. Don Shula	347-173-6	.665
	8. Curly Lambeau	229-134-22	.623
	9. Bill Walsh	102-63-1	.617
	10. Paul Brown	170-108-6	.609
	M. Schottenheimer	150-96-1	.609

"A number of people have said to me, 'You don't have to prove yourself as a coach, look at what you did in San Francisco,' " Seifert said last week. "And I look at it totally differently. I've not done a thing here in Carolina.

"The expectations are great here, but I'm used to great expectations."

Indeed, he is.

The list is daunting, and, on first impression, not quite right. Vince Lombardi is there, of course, and so is George Halas, Don Shula, Earl "Curly" Lambeau and Paul Brown. Even Bill Walsh, the old 49ers' genius, can be found in the fine print.

But what is Seifert doing in the company of these great coaches? It just so happens that his eight years in San Francisco (1989-96) produced the best winning percentage in the history of the NFL: 108-35, a clip of .755. And now, after signing on with the retro-expansion Carolina Panthers, we are going to find out if he really belongs there.

After reaching the NFC Championship Game in 1996, the second season of their existence, the Panthers fell to 7-9 and, last year, 4-12. Coach Dom Capers had a long-term contract, but owner Jerry Richardson fired him and talked Seifert into returning to the NFL after a two-year sabbatical.

Part of Seifert's thought process involved his all-time record in San Francisco and the effect Carolina might have on his eventual legacy.

	George Seifert is taking over a rebuilding project in Carolina.

"And I did think about that," Seifert said. "I discussed it with a number of associates and the people in my family, but it seemed to me that was fun, and it was a great time in my life, and I'm proud of having been a part of that, but it's in the past. And I still have a certain amount of energy, and I'm still alive, and it's nice to live each day and have a motivating force within yourself.

"So, I just wanted to get back in the business and go to work again, and I can't really worry about what took place in the past. Whatever's in front, I look forward to it."

When the 49ers promoted Seifert from defensive coordinator to head coach in 1989, the move was met with skepticism. Walsh left in the golden twilight of a victory in Super Bowl XXIII, but Seifert rallied the 49ers to repeat as league champions. Was it Seifert or the foundation that Walsh built? Was it Seifert or the franchise Eddie DeBartolo and Carmen Policy created?

"Maybe," Seifert says, "I wasn't the focal point, but I was part of it. It was basically Bill Walsh and Ed DeBartolo that took that franchise from obscurity into what it is now, but I was a part of it. And then as the head coach, it was this player or that past coach or this owner or this president or whatever that maybe had become the focal point. I was still a part of it."

When Seifert guided the 49ers to the best regular-season record in the NFL four times in six seasons -- 1989 (14-2), 1990 (14-2), 1992 (14-2), 1994 (13-3) -- and won a second Super Bowl, the doubts should have ended.

They didn't.

Today, Seifert has some issues in Charlotte. His defense was torched for more than 400 yards in two of the first three preseason games, and the running game, in the persons of Fred Lane and Tim Biakabutuka, has failed to exert itself. The quarterback is 13-year veteran Steve Beuerlein and his best pass rusher is 37-year-old linebacker Kevin Greene.

So, why would a 59-year-old man, who could have gone fishing every day for the rest of his life in Los Altos, Calif., take on this assignment? Clearly, he missed the day-to-day details of football. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, you wonder if he wanted to prove that what happened in San Francisco had just as much to do with George Seifert as it did with his mentor, Bill Walsh.

"We both have gray hair," Seifert said playfully. "As long as my wife doesn't call me Bill, I'm OK. That was an interesting time and, obviously, Bill's meant more to me than anyone in football as far as my development as a coach.

"After awhile you get called Bill Walsh for so long, I'm starting to look in the mirror and say 'Who am I, for gosh sake?' At least down here in the Carolinas, there's not that association, and that's kind of fun. And if they put a for-sale sign in front of my house if we're not successful, they'll be putting it in front of George Seifert's house, not Bill Walsh's house. I understand that.

"In my own mind, whatever happens, no one can take away what was accomplished during my tenure in San Francisco. No one can take that away from me. In my own heart and mind, it has nothing to do with the past. This is a new venture."

Greg Garber is a regular columnist for ESPN.com.