SAN FRANCISCO – Mike Singletary deserves to be the 49ers head coach without the "interim" label – there is no question about that.
Singletary was 5-4 in nine games as interim coach – a mediocre record in some NFL markets – but cause for celebration for a 49ers franchise on a six-season losing streak.
Given this sour climate, it's no wonder 49ers fans and the local media have been clamoring for Singletary to be named the permanent head coach of this team.
When you're starving, a few crumbs and some water seem awfully nourishing. Those crumbs are enough to keep you alive, but not enough to help you see straight.
And as the Singletary era of the 49ers begins, the new 49ers coach is the first to admit that his team is not strong.
They didn't play well Sunday for long stretches. They kept fighting, with much credit to Singletary. But the 49ers also benefited from a mistake-prone Washington Redskins team whose receivers dropped critical passes in the second half.
This was a pattern in all of Singletary's wins. They beat a hapless St. Louis Rams team twice. They were outplayed on the road in Buffalo, but prevailed over a Bills team trapped in a season-ending free fall.
They played well at home to beat a New York Jets team that went 0-4 on the West Coast and flopped in the closing weeks. And they won Sunday over a Washington team that underachieved in 2008.
That's one win over a team with a winning record – the 9-7 Jets – under Singletary.
There were close road losses to Arizona and Miami, both playoff teams. A few breaks here, better execution there, and the 49ers might have won those games and finished 9-7. They might have been playing for a playoff spot Sunday.
If only "might have" counted in the standings.
It's true that Singletary is an NFL legend and an admirable man with great upside as a head coach. The 49ers' job was his to win, and he won it. But it's also true the challenges facing the 49ers are bigger than Singletary.
How good of a talent evaluator will Singletary be? We don't know. How will he work with an inexperienced owner in Jed York and an inexperienced general manager in Scot McCloughan? We don't know.
Will the 49ers "brain trust" really let Singletary pick his own staff? Or will they force someone on him – like current offensive coordinator Mike Martz?
Singletary can motivate men, but what the 49ers need more than anything is a return to ruthless talent evaluation.
"If you surround yourself with good players, you become a better coach," Singletary said Sunday.
The man knows what it takes to be an NFL winner. Whether Singletary can become one as an NFL coach – while surrounded by still-shaky management – is another question.
You hope Singletary gets there because he is a stand-up guy. But in the NFL, hope is not enough.
Call The Bee's Marcos Bretón, (916) 321-1096.
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