49ers' Singletary keeps expectations high

49ers' Singletary keeps expectations high
December 23
San Jose Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy
"Mike Singletary finally confessed Monday. He had dared to dream the almost absurdly impossible dream.

When he became the 49ers' interim coach in mid-October, Singletary thought the team would be playing games in January.

"In all honesty, I expected us to be in the playoffs," Singletary said. "And I'm disappointed that we're not."

Playoffs? Why?

"Because I felt we could get there," Singletary said. "Did I tell the players that? Absolutely."

In other words, despite those three riveting victories in the past four games, we should be savagely ripping him and the 49ers for not living up to expectations.

That isn't as cold and cruel as it sounds. Not if you step back to ponder what could have been, especially with the Arizona Cardinals leaking oil and wheezing to the finish line as NFC West champions.

Count me among those who believe that if Singletary had been driving the 49ers vehicle from the start, the team would be trading paint with Arizona to the checkered flag. But he almost certainly will be back in 2009. So we'll be sure to keep the ripping tools handy.

The hiring of Singletary as a full-time head coach won't heal every team ulcer. There will remain major question marks at several positions. Singletary will have a big decision to make about Mike Martz and the offensive-coordinator position.

Fans also will be tougher on Singletary next season. Right now, he remains the new coaching face whose motivational intelligence, open-book emotions and instinctive coaching decisions are still a fresh breeze. In 2008, a botched last-minute loss at Arizona was largely regarded as a damn-what-a-shame Singletary learning experience. In 2009, no slack will be cut.

Yet before Sunday's final regular-season kickoff, we do need to pause and truly appreciate what Singletary has accomplished. In three short months, he has become the most compelling figure in Northern California sports. More significantly, he has defied the odds in a mammoth way.

As I noted when Singletary assumed his current role, interim NFL coaches almost never succeed. Since 1930, there have been more than 80 midseason coaching changes. On only three occasions has such a move resulted in a playoff appearance. Only seven times has it resulted in a winning record."
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