The 49ers wasted no time Sunday, naming Singletary the head coach while players were still shaving off their mustaches.It is a nice change of pace to say, but – good move 9ers!
It doesn’t take a football genius to see the difference in the play of the team once Singletary took over, and it’s good to see the 49ers decided to extend this run for another four years. And I must admit, it is somewhat comforting seeing Jed York, in his first official act as president of the team, retain Singletary in a smart, calculated football decision. Let us hope this is the beginning of a beautiful thing.
Oh sure, he said GM Scot McCloughan had the final say, but I have a hard time believing he didn’t have a little input in that decision.
Singletary has given the organization a purpose, and as funny as it is to say, he runs the exact type of team Mike Nolan wanted – a ball control, move the chain, tough, aggressive defensive squad.
The problem with Nolan is that he seemed to try and out-think everyone else. I remember how frustrating it would be to be able to call out the play – run or pass – solely based on the formation and personnel packages Nolan sent on the field. Sure, whoever was sitting next to me thought I was a genius, but in fact it was the over specialization of players that was blatantly obvious to me – what would great NFL minds do once they broke down some tape?
I always thought this was a problem defensively as well, knowing that every time Rod Green came on the field, that he was the LB that was blitzing.
Singletary has simplified things, allowed younger players to develop, and with such moves has improved the team.
So we head into the Singletary era. After signing for 4 years, 10 million, I think the team has shown they aren’t playing around. They also put it in his contract that he has say over his assistant coaches, which I think reinforces their commitment to Singletary.
Singletary was non-committal about Mike Martz future, which I also like to hear. Long term, I don’t think Martz is a fit, but at this point I wonder what proven commodities there are out there, and more specifically – who is worth making the fifth offensive coordinator in five years? Singletary and Martz seemed to mesh well, with Martz being a little more toned down, but still taking advantage of multiple receiver sets. The fact that Singletary is open to keeping him shows he understands the importance of stability – something this team hasn’t had since the Mariucci years. But at least he seems to have a feel for this team (something Nolan rarely did), and that he is the one who would know best if a change is needed, rather than ownership making decisions from the luxury box.
As a sports fan, you have to love Singletary’s attitude about this job.
"I think all the guys who are happy today are going to regret it," told reporters at the post game press conference, inferring players should expect a grueling training camp.
The team must be thrilled with the product Singletary has brought the field. He took over in the middle of the season and went 5-4. One of those losses came the week he found out, on a
Tuesday, he was the head coach. So if you throw that one out, he really went 5-3. Stretch that out over a full season and its more than enough to win the woeful NFC West.
So settle in. This is Mike Singletary’s team now. He has raised expectations on the heels of 5-2 finish, showing the most promise this current roster has ever flashed. As opposed to past years when expectations were high, this roster is much deeper and has a lot of promising young players (which will be supplemented in free agency and the 09 Draft).
This team very well could be the favorite to win the west next year, depending on what moves the divisional opponents make. But the Rams are rebuilding, the Seahawks look depleted, and the Cardinals barely won the division with a 9-7 record.
Rejoice 49ers fans – this very well could be the rise from the ashes for your 49ers. Only time will tell.
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