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49ers make Nolan latest coaching casualty

by Jay Glazer

Jay Glazer is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com on MSN and also appears every week on FOX NFL Sunday as the network's NFL Insider.

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Updated: October 21, 2008, 11:13 AM EDT
In a wild year, yet another head coach has been fired midseason.

Week 7 in the spotlight

Tom Cable Where does your team's game rank among the best and worst? Check out all the highlights and lowlights from Week 7.

Also: What we learned from Week 7

Mike Nolan has confirmed to FOX Sports that he has been fired by the San Francisco 49ers. Nolan was informed by team brass late Monday afternoon.

"The decision was difficult, because Mike has been both a friend and valued coach of our team," said 49ers general manager Scot 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."

It is assumed that current defensive coordinator Mike Singletary will assume Nolan's coaching duties. There were reports earlier Monday that Nolan would be fired after the team's next game Sunday against Seattle, but ownership instead decided not to wait.

"I am confident that Mike Singletary's leadership ability, along with his experience as both a Hall of Fame player and coach, gives him the ability to turn our season around," McCloughan said.

Nolan was in the midst of his fourth season in San Francisco and leaves with an 18-37 record. The 49ers appeared to have hope after a 7-9 season in 2006 — the team's best record in three years at the time.

But the Niners sank to 5-11 last season as Nolan and his one-time franchise quarterback Alex Smith reportedly had a falling out, with the Niners' offense ranking as the league's worst in 2007.

This season's 49ers began with mild hope after beginning the year 2-1, but local media pressure increased during a three-game losing streak.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Blazin Jay is a B!^(H! Only Fox would hire this hog head.

Bloody_Harlan_RedneckBloody_Harlan_Redneck
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I wonder who Glazer's sources were for this one. The story is only 90 years old.

kiedrowiczkiedrowicz
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is this story true this time Mr. Glazer or did sources tell you ya D.A. Heard Glazer's sources needed to pay his mortgage so he made up the report. Why hasnt ESPN reporting this. because it probably insn't true. long live Brett Farve.

1BADAZN1BADAZN
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J T O'Sullivan is God! He pees on graves and the dead rise! I'm his number 1 fan! It is said that he has an account at the exclusive dating website ___I PRODUCE MORE TURNOVERS THAN A BAKERY.COM___ where he hangs out when he is not preventing earthquakes!

centcomcentcom
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Elgin Baylor was truly a scapegoat for the Clippers woes. I am a Laker fan and when I heard Baron Davis was coming to the Clippers along with the possible resigning of Brand and Maggette, it finally looked like Baylor was going to have the pieces he finally needed to compete in LA, but ownership once again didn't want to spend the money to keep it together. Baron Davis is now going to be out for 4-6 weeks I heard and once again the Clippers will struggle.

TaintedSpeechTaintedSpeech
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I noticed that in baseball and football that the Western divisions tend to be the weakest. I think the West Coast is sinking into the Pacific Ocean or something. The Titans are playing smashmouth football on both sides of the ball and I love that. The 49ers really need to utilize Gore more because he has the ability of wearing down defenses, but that's not what a Mike Martz lead offense is built to do. Mike Martz needs to understand in order to run that offense you need a certain type of QB and they do not have that. Do you think the Titans are going to bring Vince Young back? Or do you think they will stick with Collins as long as they keep winning?

TaintedSpeechTaintedSpeech
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agreed once again with regards to bball...and ownership...i can tie those arguments together in validation of each other with two words..."the Clippers".....and they scapegoated Elgin Baylor instead of just admitting that they really didn't care to spend any money nor be a positive influence in the community (although quite a few of their players have been good role models)...

peterfadenpeterfaden
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I can see your point and i agree with you. The 49ers paid heavily for the ownership's indiscetions (possibly the heaviest penalty of all time, and certainly the one with the most long term negative effects). I was hoping when they frafted A Smith that, that, combined with a surging Seahawks team would balance the NFC out a bit more. My other team is the Pack, and unfortunately, our division has been watered down for a while as well. <br />No worries about the Titans....they've had personnel issues also, and have mostly been lucky in their winning seasons between their playoff run (and 'bowl appearance) and now. Finally, we're back to classic Jeff Fisher team form (and without a listless Eddie George...the only guy to ever be able to fall forward 3 yards and still only average 3.3 per carry)

peterfadenpeterfaden
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I truly believe owners of football teams need to be former players or coaches. There is an obvious reason why (financial reasons), but these businessmen don't understand anything but making money. I really find it hard to believe that the York family is spending restless nights trying to figure out how to make the 49ers contenders again. And as a side note that has nothing to do with football... Courtside seats in the NBA should be filled with underprivledged youth instead of celebrities and high income fans.

TaintedSpeechTaintedSpeech
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I don't condone cheating in any way, and when you do get caught you should be punished. The 49ers have felt the effect of their past indiscretions over the years, but they have the talent to be playoff contenders again. They have been playing 45 minutes of football the last week 3 weeks instead of 60. Hopefully Singletary will put that fire in their bellies and really bring out that talent level. No hard feelings on the Titans comments, they are a much improved football team this year and I am glad that Indy is struggling. It's has been a rough go for 49er fans the last decade or so, so real fans take it personally.

TaintedSpeechTaintedSpeech
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i can criticized the niners regardless...besides Taint, if you look back on these posts, you'll see i was really just responding to somebody elses ridiculous homer posts...it started initially with me sying i looked forward to seeing what Singletary could do with the team. Anyway, i was hoping sf801 would man up with facts, but i guess he's tired of being discredited....

peterfadenpeterfaden
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Why are we talking about the 49ers past and the salary cap infractions? The past is the past and anybody holding on to animosity for those mistakes needs to move on. Yes, the 49ers teams have payed for past mistakes, but they have some young talent on both sides of the ball, so once they can get a QB that can lead the team and a true head coach (Mike Holmgren might be a candidate for next season), then they can get back to their winning ways. And the 49ers can't help the division they play in, it's just how it works. Regardless of who you play during the season, division games tend to be more difficult then out of division games and everybody who watches football knows that. I don't live in the past and neither should you Peter. Or are you still distraught over the Titans Super Bowl blunder against the Rams? Hopefully the Titans can win the Super Bowl this year so somebody will actually care about their team. You can critcize the 49ers once your team actually becomes a storied franchise.

TaintedSpeechTaintedSpeech
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Stand up guy? Yes. Family legacy? Yes. Got it done? No. Not a SF fan but sit back and watch a man inspire his troops now. He should have gotten a shot not by default long time ago. But we know what that is all about. And I'm not going to get into it. It's here and let's watch what happens.

sportsfanatic4eversportsfanatic4ever
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i'll add one of ours to the list for you...Haynesworth (love how he plays, but the league should've taken over punishing him for spiking the guy in the face when he was on the ground)

peterfadenpeterfaden
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Titans

peterfadenpeterfaden
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since every team took 'roids in the 70's, that was pretty much a wash. Plus, after what happened to Alzado, it was easy to convince players to change (at least until the memory faded)...and btw, do i need to mention Romanowski? You still haven't brought any facts to the table, although you sure do make a lot of excuses for your team homer. Do i need to remind yu of such luminaries as Lawrence Philips and Tim Harris...or more recently Antonio Bryant, Donald Strickland, and Ezra Butler...i guess every team has it's fair share of criminals.<br />The only valid reference you made was spygate, but since that didn't have any impact on the niners season, it really doesn't apply here......Do you actually watch the games, or do you just listen to sportscenter and focus on Madden? I'd guess the latter of the two judging from your posts....<br />So....aside from making excuses for why the niners cheating should be okay, what else do you have to bring to the table?

peterfadenpeterfaden
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btw...what got censored on your post? Looked like something i may never have seen before...abn??????can't even begin to guess

peterfadenpeterfaden
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should've won 3 more super bowls? I'd say they should've won one fewer bowl actually...NCAA teams have had championships removed for cheating..<br />Speaking of which, i see you still are ignoring the proven fact that the niners cheated their way into their last ring...still, i extend my pity as well as my condolences over the demise of the niners since then. Must be difficult (especially when you factor in the fact that at least 6 games are played within their powder-puff division). Yep...definitely my pity and condolences.............is that a tear i see?

peterfadenpeterfaden
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It not Mike Nolan fault that the team is not winning. It the Idiots that sitting around the conference table, acting like they doing some real work.

BigWillthethirdBigWillthethird
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stinky...spot on...the "leak" was undoubtedly backed by the front office, and further demonstrates the lack of class that non-niner fans typically associate with their upper management (and quite a few actual fans feel that way also)....Singletary might be their only hope at redemption

peterfadenpeterfaden
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