by BAY AREA NEWS GROUP , Contra Costa Times

Given a battlefield promotion after the bye-week sacking of Mike Nolan last fall, Singletary went 5-4 with a roster that had begun the season 2-5. He and the 49ers are 3-3 this season, giving him a 15-game record of 8-7 heading into today's tough piece of business in Indianapolis.

Teams that have enough Super Bowl trophies to use the leftovers as chess pieces don't throw parades for 8-7. But Singletary's record is noteworthy considering where the team was last Halloween. And, interestingly enough, considering his organizational forefathers.

Since joining the NFL, the 49ers have had 16 head coaches. Of the 11 who have lasted at least 15 games, only three have had better getaways than Singletary: Steve Mariucci (13-2), George Seifert (ditto), and Red Hickey (9-6).

But it goes beyond the numbers. Singletary has given the team a mission statement and a persona to go with it. He has inspired his players with the same righteous certitude that made him such a hot property on the motivational speaking circuit. He has changed the team's culture, boosted its self-esteem and improved the smell in Nolan's old locker room.

Now comes the hard part.

It can be about attitude adjustment for only so long. Even a coach who can turn fire into brimstone eventually must prove himself as a stragetist. That time has arrived for Singletary or will the moment quarterback Alex Smith trots onto the field today for the 49ers' first series against the Colts.

Yes, Singletary has made dozens of tactical decisions since inheriting the big whistle. Some have been no-brainers benching turnover-intensive quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and deciding to part ways with wild-eyed offensive coordinator Mike Martz spring to mind. Others have been low-level points of order.

Now comes the part where Singletary has to actively address those parts of his comprehensive plan for league domination that are being buffeted by headwinds.

This is where Smith comes in. Fact is, the 49ers' running game hasn't lived up to Singletary's grand plan partly because of an ankle injury to lead dog Frank Gore; partly because the 49ers just aren't that team yet; and partly because Shaun Hill's limited arm strength was hindering the 49ers' ability to fake their way past points A and B.

So at halftime of last Sunday's game at Houston, Hill, who had started 14 consecutive games at quarterback, was out. Smith, who has lived three Football lifetimes since being selected with the first pick in the 2005 draft, was in.

The immediate feedback will be fascinating enough. Smith, who threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns in the second half at Houston, should find the going considerably tougher against the Colts. Can he do enough to unclutter the line of scrimmage and provide Gore with running room? We know he can throw better than Hill; can he manage a game as well? Can he give the 49ers a chance to win?

Long-term, the questions are even more intriguing. To what extent does Singletary alter his preferred 60/40 run-pass split now that he has a quarterback who can force the opposing defense to account for the entire field? Does he consider Smith's stronger arm a weapon of next-to-last resort, or will he allow offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye to be proactive with the pass?

These things bear watching as the season unfolds. We already know Singletary can be decisive. We know he has strong leadership skills. But then, we suspected as much having watched from across the field as he worked some great Chicago Bears teams into an absolute lather. Thus, none of what has transpired over the past 15 games comes as much of a surprise.

OK, getting Vernon Davis to abandon his egocentricity and become a team guy is a bit of a shock. The feeling here was that nothing short of restraints and sedatives could have turned that trick.

Starting today we'll begin to get a sense of Singletary's ability to adapt and evolve. Because while, "I want evolutionaries!" isn't on a par with "I want winners!" as a marketing linchpin, it could be argued that those are merely two ways of saying the same thing.

Contact Gary Peterson at gpeterson@bayareanewsgroup.com

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