Over at ESPN they run a Coach Ratings feature where you can vote on whether you approve of the job Mike Singletary is doing as head coach. You can vote for every head coach every week and the World Wide Leader keeps track on a graph.
I thought it would be fun and informative to have that kind of poll here at Niners Nation. ESPN seems to post their poll Sunday or Monday. The problem with a Sunday night or Monday poll is that people are still fired up over a win or downtrodden over a loss. I've decided instead to run this poll every Wednesday. That gives people a couple days to cool down and hopefully give us a more rational vote.
As part of it I'll publicize my own vote with reasons for it and reasons why I might be willing to consider the alternative. If you decide to vote in this poll we'd all like to hear reasons why you choose yes or no. Also, thank to wjackalope for the graphic.
For now I think it's safe to say that I approve of the job Mike Singletary is doing as head coach. I was going to say try and avoid comparing his current performance with Mike Nolan because Nolan is in the past. However, due to the in-season firing, it's virtually impossible not to compare the two coaches in making the vote. Nolan was 2-5 and Singletary is 1-2, but the feeling I get is a world of difference between the two.
I usually prefer the cold, hard statistical look at things, but with Singletary I just have this greater feeling of confidence than I ever had with Mike Nolan. One reason for that would be the words of the players. He kicked Vernon Davis off the field and let him know in no uncertain terms how he felt about his antics and Davis has responded like a mature adult (clearly VD needs a disciplinarian figure to keep him grounded). In fact Davis is the one most prominently clamoring for Singletary to get the full-time job. Singletary has clearly got the players' respect and that is half the battle in the NFL today. It's a league of millionaires who can often act a bit petulant. Singletary brings an old school intensity that the players seem to be feeding off of.
The question that remains is what areas can he stand to improve upon? Right now it's really hard to say. He's got a veteran offensive coordinator in Mike Martz and while I don't have numbers to back me up, it seems like Singletary has been able to sit down with Martz and work a little more power running into the game plan (although that could also be due to Shaun Hill's clear physical deficiencies). It seems like his delegation abilities have been solid so far.
I won't pass judgment on his clock management skills because like with any other strength or weakness, there hasn't been enough game experience. He struggled mightily in his biggest 2 minute drill situation against Arizona. Against the Rams there was no situation that required something similar in terms of the stress of the situation. Maybe we'll see a key 2-minute drill this Sunday to help us get a better idea of things.
We'll definitely get a better idea of what Singletary brings to the table in the coming weeks. The 49ers face some tough opponents on the road and will need to bring their A-game. Given the strength of schedule the rest of the way, I'm curious to see how people are rating Singletary even if the losses are mounting. I think most people here understand that the team could be moving in a positive direction in spite of potential losses.
So vote, and, if you're so inclined, throw out reasons for or against approval of Mike Singletary.