Mike Singletary: Why is he a good HC candidate? (1 Viewer)

[Jason Wood]

I'm seeing Mike Singletary's name come up a lot in this early offseason. He's been linked to the Atlanta job (by virtue of being a candidate the last go around but falling short to Bobby Petrino) and now I've seen his named bandied about this and other message boards as a "great candidate" for Baltimore.

Not to say Singletary won't/can't be a good head coach someday, but why does the general book on him by fans seem to think he's a choice candidate for a head coaching vacancy? We can't possibly come to that conclusion based on his relatively limited coaching history:

Failed to land the Baylor job in 2002
LB coach in Baltimore (2003-2004)
LB coach/Assistant HC in San Francisco (2005-2007)He's never been a coordinator or head coach...he's been a COACH for just five seasons...can you think of ANY player of Singletary's caliber to be a successful NFL head coach (other than Mike Ditka)?

Again, let me be clear. I'm not saying Singletary WON'T be a good head coach. But I'm saying that we, as fans, can't possibly have any informed reason to expect that he will either. His limited experience precludes that. Andy Reid turned out brilliantly for the Eagles, but when the Eagles hired him I, and most fans, were left scratching our heads because he, like Singletary, had no experience even as a coordinator much less a head coach. There's no Earthly reason anyone outside of the coaching ranks and ownership should've thought Reid was a good fit for the job.

I have to wonder if this isn't related to Singletary's playing career; yet, I ask again whether there is any evidence to suggest that a great playing career is in any way, shape or form linked to being a good coach?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

What did Jack Del Rio do before he as the Jacksonville HC? (I really don't know, I'm just asking.)

Mike Tice may be a doofus, but he wasn't awful as a HC.

 

[Jason Wood]

What did Jack Del Rio do before he as the Jacksonville HC? (I really don't know, I'm just asking.)Mike Tice may be a doofus, but he wasn't awful as a HC.

Hey Andy...that's what I'm talking about though. Del Rio is another guy who clearly WAS qualified. But before he was hired in Jacksonville we didn't see his name mentioned in every NFL opening as one of the a) obvious candidate or b) someone the fans just accepted as being a good candidate. NOW we can look back and say he was a smart hire, but did many presume that beforehand?I guess what I'm asking is why do we presume Singletary is a good HC candidate. If it's not his rep as a great player, how do you explain it?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

What did Jack Del Rio do before he as the Jacksonville HC? (I really don't know, I'm just asking.)Mike Tice may be a doofus, but he wasn't awful as a HC.

Hey Andy...that's what I'm talking about though. Del Rio is another guy who clearly WAS qualified. But before he was hired in Jacksonville we didn't see his name mentioned in every NFL opening as one of the a) obvious candidate or b) someone the fans just accepted as being a good candidate. NOW we can look back and say he was a smart hire, but did many presume that beforehand?I guess what I'm asking is why do we presume Singletary is a good HC candidate. If it's not his rep as a great player, how do you explain it?

Again, I'm just asking because I really don't know... How was Del Rio "clearly" qualified?You're asking a good question.

 

[SSOG]

Because he has enough name recognition to really drive ticket sales?

 

[Jene Bramel]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

 

[Jason Wood]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

Well we don't really know that yet...his name has been loosely linked to Atlanta but I'm not sure anything official came of it; particularly because they couldn't even think about talking to him until today. Let's see if he gets interviews (and not just an initial cursory interview, but a 2nd interviews and a position as a finalist somewhere) this go around.

 

[Doug B]

What did Jack Del Rio do before he as the Jacksonville HC? (I really don't know, I'm just asking.)

IIRC, he replaced Marvin Lewis as the Ravens' DC. Before that, IIRC, he was the Ravens' LB coach. Without looking it up, I believe Del Rio was also on USC's staff for a while, pre-Pete Carroll. I guess on Paul Hackett's squad?ETA: Bah ... I shoulda looked it up. I wasn't too far off, though:

Del Rio began his coaching career with the New Orleans Saints in 1997 as the Strength and Conditioning coach. In 1999, he accepted a position with the Baltimore Ravens as their linebackers coach. He is in part credited for the success of the Ravens' defense, particularly the 2000 Ravens' defense. After the 2001 season, he was named defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. In his first season as defensive coordinator, he led them to the second best defense in the league that season.In 2003, Del Rio became the second head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars following Tom Coughlin's dismissal.

Coulda sworn he coached in college for a bit ... guess not.

 

[Schrute]

The answer is simple: because people in NFL circles routinely say they think he'll be a good coach. I don't specifically know what their reasons are, but they obviously have them. So that's why his name gets mentioned here.

 

[Don Quixote]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

 

[identikit]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I believe he is a natural leader, in both his words and in his actions. Once he gets his chance to HC, his success will hinge on his coordinators.Id

 

[Bri]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

Well we don't really know that yet...his name has been loosely linked to Atlanta but I'm not sure anything official came of it; particularly because they couldn't even think about talking to him until today. Let's see if he gets interviews (and not just an initial cursory interview, but a 2nd interviews and a position as a finalist somewhere) this go around.

he was considerred a runnerup last year so he got asked by a reporter if he'd be interested again. Seemed to make alot out of nothin' after that.Why?His eyes If he had 22 players with that intense stone cold killer look he used to have......I'd agree he's hasn't done much but young Josh McDaniel was a surprise as OC in New England. Sometimes ya just know if someone's got it in them I guess

 

[Bri]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

 

[Somebody]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I believe he is a natural leader, in both his words and in his actions. Once he gets his chance to HC, his success will hinge on his coordinators.Id

I was thinking along these same lines. He may need X's and O's help from good coordinators, but he has a lot of the intangibles you look for in a head coach. He proved as a player (and in part as an assistant coach) that he commands respect and is a very good leader. He is also smart, so I think he can learn a lot of the X's and O's as he goes. He may not be the most experienced coach at this point, but I think he has a lot of potential.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

The good doctor hit some of the most important points - passion and ability to get through to young players. Another thing that makes me believe Singletary will be a success is that he seems to be very positive and generally uses the word "love" a lot and seems to draw his energy from that kind of place. I was sold when I saw how engrossed the prospects were when they were being coached by Singletary. They were hanging on every word. Heck, I was hanging on every word. When the practices broke and the players headed for the media, Singletary stayed behind with two of the LBs (Quincy Black and Kyle Shotwell) and continued to give them one on one instruction. You got the feeling that he could continue to do that all night and not tire. He coaches with the same intensity and passion that we saw on the field when he was a Bear.Honestly, I was sold within the first hour of watching him - he just has the aura of a great benevolent leader.

 

[stevegamer]

Lots of others have said a lot of his positives. Clearly, Singletary is intense and a hard worker from his days on the field - those are good qualities that translate well.

I think Singletary is a great fit for Baltimore, actually. There aren't a lot of coaching caniddates whom a lot of those guys on the defense will respect - they would need a guy with credentials. That's the team where players say "You're not a player" to refs. He's got a Super Bowl ring & a Hall of Fame jacket as a player- I'm not sure how much more "cred" one could have.

 

[My Hope Street Alias]

Of course, I feel obligated to preface my post by saying that I was a big fan of his with the Bears and I hope that he does become a head coach soon and is very successful at it. That said, let's not kid ourselves that one of the reasons his name comes up even with such limited coaching experience is his complexion.

 

[cstu]

Of course, I feel obligated to preface my post by saying that I was a big fan of his with the Bears and I hope that he does become a head coach soon and is very successful at it. That said, let's not kid ourselves that one of the reasons his name comes up even with such limited coaching experience is his complexion.

He does take good care of his skin - I think it's the Oil of Olay.

 

[identikit]

Of course, I feel obligated to preface my post by saying that I was a big fan of his with the Bears and I hope that he does become a head coach soon and is very successful at it. That said, let's not kid ourselves that one of the reasons his name comes up even with such limited coaching experience is his complexion.

He does take good care of his skin - I think it's the Oil of Olay.

 

[TankRizzo]

He's been linked to good defenses everywhere he's been and he's generally well liked by players and considered a good motivator. That's about all I got.

 

[JaxBill]

Lots of others have said a lot of his positives. Clearly, Singletary is intense and a hard worker from his days on the field - those are good qualities that translate well. I think Singletary is a great fit for Baltimore, actually. There aren't a lot of coaching caniddates whom a lot of those guys on the defense will respect - they would need a guy with credentials. That's the team where players say "You're not a player" to refs. He's got a Super Bowl ring & a Hall of Fame jacket as a player- I'm not sure how much more "cred" one could have.

I think that the only way he lands the Baltimore job is if he has a solid OC lined up. After watching Billick's offenses struggle, I think they're going to look at an offensive guy. Besides, if they hire a defensive guy, wouldn't they have to look at Buddy's son?I wonder if he's going to end up with the Falcons. That's a locker room that clearly had trouble listening to Petrino, but it could be easier to clear out Deangelo Hall than Ray Lewis. After the Vick episode, Blank is going to be pressured to hire an African-American. Plus, Singletary is a "Name" that will help them sell tickets.

 

[FTRWRTR]

B) I don't know if Singletary was a pseudo field general/player who was a quasi coach in the last legs of his career. Maybe some Bears homers can enlighten us. It's widely known in the NBA that Avery Johnson was seen as "coaching material" towards the end of his career and he was also considered a powerful locker room leader and each team he went to got a little better and played much harder. Maybe Johnson and Singletary share that player/quasi coach pedigree and situation in their final playing days. If Singletary did do this, his "five years" coaching might be a bit misleading compared to coaches who never played in the NFL.

Keep in mind that I was young and just getting into football when he was the heart of the bears' defense but as I understood it you're pretty much on target. Singletary was known as the samurai because he studied EVERYTHING on the field and as a result he was that team's leader both on te field and in the lockerroom

 

[stevegamer]

Lots of others have said a lot of his positives. Clearly, Singletary is intense and a hard worker from his days on the field - those are good qualities that translate well. I think Singletary is a great fit for Baltimore, actually. There aren't a lot of coaching caniddates whom a lot of those guys on the defense will respect - they would need a guy with credentials. That's the team where players say "You're not a player" to refs. He's got a Super Bowl ring & a Hall of Fame jacket as a player- I'm not sure how much more "cred" one could have.

I think that the only way he lands the Baltimore job is if he has a solid OC lined up. After watching Billick's offenses struggle, I think they're going to look at an offensive guy. Besides, if they hire a defensive guy, wouldn't they have to look at Buddy's son?I wonder if he's going to end up with the Falcons. That's a locker room that clearly had trouble listening to Petrino, but it could be easier to clear out Deangelo Hall than Ray Lewis. After the Vick episode, Blank is going to be pressured to hire an African-American. Plus, Singletary is a "Name" that will help them sell tickets.

I'm not even sure he'd have to clear out DeAngelo Hall. A Hall of Fame, Super Bowl winning defender as a coach would probably make Hall take notice.For Ryan, the Baltimore job will partly come down to: "Has he lost the defense?"

 

[twitch]

Singletary appears at least on the surface, the polar opposite of Brian Billick. He's a D coach and a former NFL player. He doesnt appear to be a blabbermouth, but it seems pretty evident he'd carry a big stick. From some of the NFL combine and draft coverage and obviously from witnessing his career as a player, he appears to be a master at technique, focus and intensity. But the intangible "IT" quality is the commodity that I think this guy has that is most essential, and its what can inspire players to follow. I think he's a natural leader and a no nonsense, no excuse kindof guy. He'll be highly and immediately respected wherever he goes. Sure, he seems like a football film junky and Im sure he lives in the filmroom and understands all the Xs and Os, and will be able to assemble a staff and hire the right coordinators, and be an organized manager of the team. But again, its the 'IT' that Im looking for if Im an owner or a GM, and I think he brings it.

 

[redman]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

The good doctor hit some of the most important points - passion and ability to get through to young players. Another thing that makes me believe Singletary will be a success is that he seems to be very positive and generally uses the word "love" a lot and seems to draw his energy from that kind of place. I was sold when I saw how engrossed the prospects were when they were being coached by Singletary. They were hanging on every word. Heck, I was hanging on every word. When the practices broke and the players headed for the media, Singletary stayed behind with two of the LBs (Quincy Black and Kyle Shotwell) and continued to give them one on one instruction. You got the feeling that he could continue to do that all night and not tire. He coaches with the same intensity and passion that we saw on the field when he was a Bear.Honestly, I was sold within the first hour of watching him - he just has the aura of a great benevolent leader.

The problem is that with a head coach (or even a coordinator), unlike as a position coach, you aren't working one-on-one with your player the way you saw at the Shrine Game very often. It's wonderful that he's great with players, but unless he can handle the macro and game management problems that go with being a head coach (and most can't do it very well), or game planning problems that come with being a coordinator, how can we say he's qualified to be a head coach.I don't know that I've seen this said here - has Singletary even been a coordinator yet?

 

[Limp Ditka]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

The good doctor hit some of the most important points - passion and ability to get through to young players. Another thing that makes me believe Singletary will be a success is that he seems to be very positive and generally uses the word "love" a lot and seems to draw his energy from that kind of place. I was sold when I saw how engrossed the prospects were when they were being coached by Singletary. They were hanging on every word. Heck, I was hanging on every word. When the practices broke and the players headed for the media, Singletary stayed behind with two of the LBs (Quincy Black and Kyle Shotwell) and continued to give them one on one instruction. You got the feeling that he could continue to do that all night and not tire. He coaches with the same intensity and passion that we saw on the field when he was a Bear.Honestly, I was sold within the first hour of watching him - he just has the aura of a great benevolent leader.

The problem is that with a head coach (or even a coordinator), unlike as a position coach, you aren't working one-on-one with your player the way you saw at the Shrine Game very often. It's wonderful that he's great with players, but unless he can handle the macro and game management problems that go with being a head coach (and most can't do it very well), or game planning problems that come with being a coordinator, how can we say he's qualified to be a head coach.I don't know that I've seen this said here - has Singletary even been a coordinator yet?

He was a LB coach with Baltimore and has been the Assistant Head Coach with the 49ers for the last 3 years now.I would think that being a AHC is a good, if not better, foundation for a future Head Coach to have.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

The good doctor hit some of the most important points - passion and ability to get through to young players. Another thing that makes me believe Singletary will be a success is that he seems to be very positive and generally uses the word "love" a lot and seems to draw his energy from that kind of place. I was sold when I saw how engrossed the prospects were when they were being coached by Singletary. They were hanging on every word. Heck, I was hanging on every word. When the practices broke and the players headed for the media, Singletary stayed behind with two of the LBs (Quincy Black and Kyle Shotwell) and continued to give them one on one instruction. You got the feeling that he could continue to do that all night and not tire. He coaches with the same intensity and passion that we saw on the field when he was a Bear.Honestly, I was sold within the first hour of watching him - he just has the aura of a great benevolent leader.

The problem is that with a head coach (or even a coordinator), unlike as a position coach, you aren't working one-on-one with your player the way you saw at the Shrine Game very often. It's wonderful that he's great with players, but unless he can handle the macro and game management problems that go with being a head coach (and most can't do it very well), or game planning problems that come with being a coordinator, how can we say he's qualified to be a head coach.I don't know that I've seen this said here - has Singletary even been a coordinator yet?

I understand your point, and yes, I'm extrapolating from a tiny sample size, but it matches everything we already knew about Singletary, and it just gave me a strong sense of the culture and atmosphere he would create - and as many have pointed out - he can delegate X's and O's if that's not his strong suit. To me, so much begins with the culture created on a team, and I am certain that Singletary will create a positive winning culture whereever he goes.

 

[redman]

Bloom had some very high praise for him after watching Singletary at work in the Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.Whether his better qualities -- passion and temperament for coaching and ability to motivate and teach young players -- translate to the professional level will obviously determine whether or not he can be successful. It's interesting that his reputation as a rising name in the coaching market hasn't seemed to take much of a hit despite the Niners' slide.

The good doctor hit some of the most important points - passion and ability to get through to young players. Another thing that makes me believe Singletary will be a success is that he seems to be very positive and generally uses the word "love" a lot and seems to draw his energy from that kind of place. I was sold when I saw how engrossed the prospects were when they were being coached by Singletary. They were hanging on every word. Heck, I was hanging on every word. When the practices broke and the players headed for the media, Singletary stayed behind with two of the LBs (Quincy Black and Kyle Shotwell) and continued to give them one on one instruction. You got the feeling that he could continue to do that all night and not tire. He coaches with the same intensity and passion that we saw on the field when he was a Bear.Honestly, I was sold within the first hour of watching him - he just has the aura of a great benevolent leader.

The problem is that with a head coach (or even a coordinator), unlike as a position coach, you aren't working one-on-one with your player the way you saw at the Shrine Game very often. It's wonderful that he's great with players, but unless he can handle the macro and game management problems that go with being a head coach (and most can't do it very well), or game planning problems that come with being a coordinator, how can we say he's qualified to be a head coach.I don't know that I've seen this said here - has Singletary even been a coordinator yet?

He was a LB coach with Baltimore and has been the Assistant Head Coach with the 49ers for the last 3 years now.I would think that being a AHC is a good, if not better, foundation for a future Head Coach to have.

What exactly is an "Assistant Head Coach", anyway? What concerns me here is that he's been backing up a guy in Mike Nolan who himself is the team's defensive coordinator if I understand this right. It's not like Singletary has single handedly run a team's defense even as the AHC. I'm not bashing Singletary here at all - I loved him as a player and for all I know he'll be a Hall of Fame caliber head coach once he gets his shot. The original point of this thread is very valid: candidates for head coaching jobs often are sporting versions of Paris Hilton - they're famous for being famous. I see a lot of that with Singletary.

 

[stevegamer]

Looks like Nolan may go down in SF - and if that happens, everything changes.

 

[The Great Snook]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

 

[3nOut]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

How is he supposed to accomplish something? If I understand correctly, he can only take another AHC job or become head coach somewhere. Taking a coordinator job would be a step backward and I think that may be against NFL rules. So what does he need to accomplish as an assistant head coach?

 

[Da Guru]

Lets face reality..they are looking for any qualified black canidates. Mike fits the bill..great ex-player, speaks well, has a SuperBowl ring.

 

[teamroc]

Lets face reality..they are looking for any qualified black canidates. Mike fits the bill..great ex-player, speaks well, has a SuperBowl ring.

Doesn't the fact SF stinks balls hurt his chances?What has he done for SF? They stink. Mike is probably 3rd/4th in command in SF, yet I don't see any of his playing time greatness rubbing off. Patrick Willis would have been a stud playing for any team in the league.You usually don't hire assistants from awful teams. Why don't we go hire Mike Mularkey? Dom Capers? Nah. Teams are talking about assistants from SUCCESSFULL teams. Which is why Josh McDaniels gets pub.Call me crazy, but I don't want my team hiring ANYONE from SF.

 

[The Great Snook]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

How is he supposed to accomplish something? If I understand correctly, he can only take another AHC job or become head coach somewhere. Taking a coordinator job would be a step backward and I think that may be against NFL rules. So what does he need to accomplish as an assistant head coach?

This whole "Assistant Head Coach" thing is a pile of excrement. His other title in SF is "Linebacker Coach" which is basically what he is. Whenever someone talks about SF do they ever mention the linebackers?, the defense?, or even what a "great job" he is doing. To me they seem to focus on how much the players respect him, etc. etc.The other minority guys worked with people and teams and made them all better. To the point that people knew what they did. Singletary hasn't built up that type of reputation. His reputation is "how much the players respect him". As to what he needs to do. I would recommend turning SF's linebackers into All-Pros. Developing a killer defense with innovative schemes, etc.

 

[Da Guru]

Lets face reality..they are looking for any qualified black canidates. Mike fits the bill..great ex-player, speaks well, has a SuperBowl ring.

Doesn't the fact SF stinks hurt his chances?What has he done for SF? They stink. Mike is probably 3rd/4th in command in SF, yet I don't see any of his playing time greatness rubbing off. Patrick Willis would have been a stud playing for any team in the league.You usually don't hire assistants from awful teams. Why don't we go hire Mike Mularkey? Dom Capers? Nah. Teams are talking about assistants from SUCCESSFULL teams. Which is why Josh McDaniels gets pub.Call me crazy, but I don't want my team hiring ANYONE from SF.

I agree.. Assistants on teams that are losing do not land HC jobs.

 

[az_prof]

As others have said, Singletary is a natural leader and leading is the first responsibility of a HC. Second, he is arguably the best Middle Linebacker in NFL history, and the middle linebacker is the leader of the defense. He has instant credibility in the locker room. He is and always was a top notch character guy. He will make sure his team is prepared and plays inspired. How good he is at evaluating talent or strategy? I don't know. But I for one do not think that to lead an organization you necessarily need experience at being the top person in some other organization.

 

[Slinger]

We knew in the huddle that we could apply the kind of pressure that's never been seen before.

 

[tdog]

The NFL HC is moving away from an Xs and Os type figure and more toward a motivational CEO type. Singletary seems to fit this model. Hire a top OC and DC, who do the planning work.

Gibbs has attempted to take on this role. For all the problems Gibbs has had in his return the team buys into the system, although the system was created by others. This appears to be the problem college coaches have been having in the NFL--the job is to get the best position coaches and get the team to listen them, an in-season sales job college coaches don't have to do when dealing with kids.

 

[Two Deep]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I believe he is a natural leader, in both his words and in his actions. Once he gets his chance to HC, his success will hinge on his coordinators.Id

these are the correct answers, I believe he can command respect and motivate his players two very important ingrediants for a team to be successful. I also think he probably has a great mind for defense. Think Tony Dungy.

 

[mooneylane]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

How is he supposed to accomplish something? If I understand correctly, he can only take another AHC job or become head coach somewhere. Taking a coordinator job would be a step backward and I think that may be against NFL rules. So what does he need to accomplish as an assistant head coach?

This whole "Assistant Head Coach" thing is a pile of excrement. His other title in SF is "Linebacker Coach" which is basically what he is. Whenever someone talks about SF do they ever mention the linebackers?, the defense?, or even what a "great job" he is doing. To me they seem to focus on how much the players respect him, etc. etc.The other minority guys worked with people and teams and made them all better. To the point that people knew what they did. Singletary hasn't built up that type of reputation. His reputation is "how much the players respect him".

As to what he needs to do. I would recommend turning SF's linebackers into All-Pros. Developing a killer defense with innovative schemes, etc.

"In 2005, McCarthy served as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers; his unit, beset by injuries and led by a rookie quarterback (top draft pick Alex Smith), finished the season ranked last in the NFL in points scored and yards gained."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McCarthy

McCarthy was hired by the Packers after leading the worst offense in the NFL the previous year.

 

[msommer]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

How is he supposed to accomplish something? If I understand correctly, he can only take another AHC job or become head coach somewhere. Taking a coordinator job would be a step backward and I think that may be against NFL rules. So what does he need to accomplish as an assistant head coach?

This whole "Assistant Head Coach" thing is a pile of excrement. His other title in SF is "Linebacker Coach" which is basically what he is. Whenever someone talks about SF do they ever mention the linebackers?, the defense?, or even what a "great job" he is doing. To me they seem to focus on how much the players respect him, etc. etc.The other minority guys worked with people and teams and made them all better. To the point that people knew what they did. Singletary hasn't built up that type of reputation. His reputation is "how much the players respect him".

As to what he needs to do. I would recommend turning SF's linebackers into All-Pros. Developing a killer defense with innovative schemes, etc.

"In 2005, McCarthy served as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers; his unit, beset by injuries and led by a rookie quarterback (top draft pick Alex Smith), finished the season ranked last in the NFL in points scored and yards gained."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_McCarthy

McCarthy was hired by the Packers after leading the worst offense in the NFL the previous year.

Same link as above

Upon firing head coach Ray Rhodes following the 1999 season, the Packers organization released the entire coaching staff, and McCarthy found work in 2000 with the New Orleans Saints, for whom he took over as offensive coordinator. He would remain in that position for five seasons, presiding over an offense that scored for 432 points in 2002 and being selected as "NFC Assistant Coach of the Year" by USA Today in 2000.

ETA: that is at least six years of coordinator experience that Singletary does not have on his resume, plus a bit more positive info than McCarthy's stint in SF generated. Could be that was taken into consideration.I'm a big fan of Singletary and although I did not spend the night at Holiday Inn Express last night I think it is still too soon for him to take over as HC

 

[twitch]

I can see Singletary taking over in Baltimore FWIW, a team led by a great GM that has years of success of running an organization and loading it with solid talent. If Ozzie Newsome can compliment Singletary with a young OC who can actually get thru to a good young QB, the Ravens can get back on track. Baltimore is a blue-collar town with a defensive identity, and I dont see that changing simply by adding any new HC. Its gonna take at least a couple of years for some new offensive blood to transform that O. But with Singletary being a man that I think players will respect and follow, I think it would be a positive move.

Its not always a prerequisite that a HC candidate have several years of lead coordinator experience or be a former HC at the pro or college level. Just look at Mike Tomlin and what he's done in Pittsburgh this year. The guy is the DC in Minnesota for one year, and that D was #1 against the run and #32 against the pass, so outstanding in one area and horrible in another. And it was his only season working as a coordinator. He's also about 14 years younger than Singletary. Who saw that one coming in Pittsburgh? And few are complaining today. Sometimes the right choice is not always the obvious one.

 

[doughboydeluxe]

Here's a good youtube clip on Singletary as a coach.

Baylor looked at him both in 2002 and this year when they were looking for a football coach. Both times they passed him over because his lack of coaching experience, particularly a lack of college coaching experience. If he does become a head coach at the NFL or college level, it will be because of his leadership intangibles, not his ability to design a scheme, at least at this point in his coaching career.

 

[mooneylane]

Lets face reality..they are looking for any qualified black canidates. Mike fits the bill..great ex-player, speaks well, has a SuperBowl ring.

Doesn't the fact SF stinks hurt his chances?What has he done for SF? They stink. Mike is probably 3rd/4th in command in SF, yet I don't see any of his playing time greatness rubbing off. Patrick Willis would have been a stud playing for any team in the league.You usually don't hire assistants from awful teams. Why don't we go hire Mike Mularkey? Dom Capers? Nah. Teams are talking about assistants from SUCCESSFULL teams. Which is why Josh McDaniels gets pub.Call me crazy, but I don't want my team hiring ANYONE from SF.

I agree.. Assistants on teams that are losing do not land HC jobs.

I meant to quote Da Guru when I posted that link to Mike McCarthy. I was just pointing out that assistants on losing teams do sometimes land head coaching jobs. Not only did the 49ers finish 4-12, but they were last in the nfl offensively.

 

[FTRWRTR]

Minority hiring rule better not have anything to do with this. I do recall some said Lofton got an interview in 06 to meet the quota and wasn't seriously considerred. It's shameful and I hope it's not true.

Ding Ding Ding. We have a winner here. Everyone is throwing his name around as an attempt to not lose a draft pick for not considering a minority. He may turn out to be a great coach, but I would prefer to see him accomplish something first before getting the opportunity (See Crennel, Dungy, Lewis, etc.)

Give me an effing break, The Falcons already have several members of their coaching staff who are black so to suggest the only reason they'd consider singletary is to satisfy the rooney rule is just silly.While I'm at it I'll say that I remember last year when e ppl acted lik,e it was a done deal that the steelers would hire ken whisenhunt or russ grimm as their HC because they played for pittsburgh. Even when they were interviewing tomlin ppl just brushed that aside. So to say the Falcons will definitely hire a black coach because he's black is just as crazy

 

[fatness]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I've read similar things on this board several times, but I don't know where the "not an X's and O's guy" stuff originally comes from? Do players under him say this? Or do other coaches say this? Honest question.

 

[msommer]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I've read similar things on this board several times, but I don't know where the "not an X's and O's guy" stuff originally comes from? Do players under him say this? Or do other coaches say this? Honest question.

Good question - his study of the game as a player would indicate otherwise

 

[doughboydeluxe]

Not an X's and O's guy, but I think the view is that he'll immediately have players' respect, and can do a good job if he surrounds himself with some good coordinators. I don't think his situation is that different from Russ Grimm's, except Grimm has a couple more years of seasoning.

I've read similar things on this board several times, but I don't know where the "not an X's and O's guy" stuff originally comes from? Do players under him say this? Or do other coaches say this? Honest question.

Good question - his study of the game as a player would indicate otherwise

I think it's more the fact that he has never been responsible for designing any sort of scheme. I'm sure he knows his X's and O's. I'm not saying he could or could not do it - just that he has never been in the position to do so.