The nine game interim head coach audition began last week for Mike Singletary in San Francisco. I’m following this because I followed Singletary’s entire career. Drafted by the Chicago Bears out of Baylor in 1981, he was soon nicknamed ‘Samauri Mike. Singletary became the intimidating and intense force behind the dominating 1980’s Bears’ defense. Television cameras would zoom in on those ’Samauri’ eyes behind his helmet. Analysts would comment on those piercing , focused , driven eyes. 12 years and 172 games later, he became Hall of Fame Mike Singletary. He became motivational speaker Mike Singletary.
I saw those same eyes in that press conference after last Sunday’s 49’er loss to Seattle. This was San Francisco’s fourth straight loss, and they keep getting uglier. Those eyes can only make decisions now. That drive, that intensity, that passion, that warrior grit, is woven into the fabric of just a few.
Mike Singletary is that kind of coach who would test a player’s metal by putting the player in a room with a fly swatter, a sledge hammer, and a fly. He wouldn’t want the player who would kill the fly with one flip of the fly swatter. The player who busted up the room with the sledge hammer, trying to kill that fly, would be Singletary’s kind of guy.
Singletary is only the second defensive Hall of Famer to ever become a head coach in the NFL. That is amazing in itself. 21 Hall of Fame players have become head coaches in the NFL. Their combined record is under .500. Mike Ditka’s 121-95 overall record is by far the best. Singletary helped Ditka to that success.
“ I’m not looking to re-invent the wheel, “ Singletary offered the media , his first day on the job, “ but expectations will be high.”
Most sports have demonstrated that, with few exceptions, the elite on the field don’t have enduring coaching careers. I will put Mike Singletary in that mix. He has thrown TE Vernon Davis and QB J.T. O’Sullivan directly to the doghouse, or was it the S.P.C.A.? Publicly, to the media..
Bill Walsh, the master motivator who turned the sickly 49er’s organization around in the 1980’s, never sacrificed his lambs in public. He had Joe Montana, and later, Jerry Rice .RB Frank Gore won’t get it done by himself. I will follow these next eight games with interest. I don’t think it will be pretty.