San Francisco 49ers fire coach Mike Nolan (Wizbang Sports)

He is expected to be replaced by Assistant Coach Mike Singletary. From ESPN-

Seven games into the NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers fired head coach Mike Nolan on Monday.
Assistant head coach Mike Singletary will be the interim head coach, general manager Scot McCloughan said. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the two sides are working on a suitable contract for a head coaching position.

"The decision was difficult, because Mike has been both a friend and a valued coach of our team," said McCloughan, who was hired by Nolan but gained authority over the coach last year. "My first obligation is to do what is in the best interest of our fans and the entire 49ers organization."

The firing came late Monday afternoon after Nolan met with ownership. Earlier Monday, ESPN's Michael Smith reported that Nolan was going to be fired after next Sunday's game and be replaced by Singletary. Whether that story sped up the process or not, it was clear that Nolan's days were numbered following Sunday's 29-17 loss to the New York Giants in the Meadowlands.

I wasn't buying into Smith's earlier report. Why would an NFL team allow a coach to go one more game and then fire him in mid-season if the decision was already made. ESPN isn't always reliable as a sports news source, so when they report news from unnamed sources I tend to be skeptical.

Mike was the second Nolan to coach the 49ers. His father Dick was head coach for the team from 1968-75. Will Mike continue in his father's footsteps and become New Orleans Saints head coach one day? Play 'The Twilight Zone' music if he does.

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Comments (1)

I was not surprised. The 49... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by Bill Tsiu | October 26, 2008 6:51 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

Bill Tsiu:

I was not surprised. The 49ers' problems begin at the top, with the weak York ownership, their convoluted management structure and lack of vision. btw, saw some cool wigets at statbeast.com. Might be helpful.

Posted on October 26, 2008 18:51