What Mike Nolan Did Right...

Before you crucify me, let me say that Mike Nolan was not a good head coach. After 3.5 seasons, the team had made minimal progress, in which their crowning glory was a 7-9 record in 2006, which was just good enough for 3rd place in the weakest division in the league. He has drawn the ire of 49ers faithful and the media, and reportedly lost the respect of the team he was supposed to lead. What was supposed to be the beginning of a once-proud team's resurgence to dominance, turned out to be a brief period of mediocrity, spearheaded by the lone man who was given the sole duty to save the 49ers.

In all fairness, Mike Nolan was put into an almost impossible situation. Nolan inherited one of the most talent-less teams in NFL history backed by an organization that was notorious for their frugality and unwillingness to support the team. His first major move was selecting a quarterback with the #1 pick of a terribly weak draft (who had no business ever being a #1 pick), simply because he had to. Futhermore, he had the worst possible luck with offensive coordinators, each one leaving for head coaching jobs the following year. Ultimately, this carousel of coordinators led to a lack of continuity on offense, which is a death sentence for an extremely young and raw team. Regardless of Nolan's inability to lead, it's hard to imagine any other coach doing much better with the given circumstances.

With all the bad that has occurred the last four years, it's easy to overlook the good that came out of the Mike Nolan era. Today, the team is in better shape than it's been in since 2002, and Nolan deserves at least partial credit for that. In honor of the man who has been dishonored over the years, here is a list of things we should be thankful for from the Mike Nolan Era.

1. Hired General Manager Scott McCloughan

Here's a list of some core players who McNolan had to build upon when they came to the team: Tim Rattay, Kwame Harris, Kevan Barlow, Brandon Lloyd, Derek Smith, Tony Parrish, Anthony Adams. I actually liked Derek Smith, Tony Parrish, and Anthony Adams, but they were NOT players you wanted to build a defense upon. Today, we have guys like Frank Gore, Joe Staley, Josh Morgan and Michael Crabtree, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis, and Nate Clements. The talent of our current roster makes the 2004 squad look like a UFL squad (in fact, Tim Rattay is a back up for the San Francisco based team). Together, Nolan and McCloughan dramatically improved the talent of the team while managing to stay out of salary-cap hell. Today, McCloughan's presence is still felt, and is a essential factor in the team's continued progres.

2. Hired Mike Singletary as assistant coach

If Nolan never came to the Niners, Mike Singletary wouldn't even have been considered for the current head coaching job. As Nolan's colleague and friend, Singletary followed Nolan to San Francisco and never thought once that he'd eventually be chosen as his boss' replacement. Now he is the face of the team and the undisputed leader. If you listen to how the team speaks of their new head coach, you're compelled to believe that fans have much to look forward to next season.

3. Drafted running back Frank Gore

You can call it McCloughan's pick, but in the end, it was Nolan's final say on who the Niners picked in the draft. Being a Miami fan, I was well aware of Frank Gore's abilities and was more than happy to see him contribute to my team. You can blame a lot of the offense's woes on Nolan, but you have to give him credit for giving us our offensive center piece.

4. Got more money for the team

Ask any NFL fan what caused the 49ers' downfall into mediocrity and the common answer would be the frugal practices of team owner, Dr. John York. In all fairness, it's almost impossible to follow in the footsteps of a previous owner like Eddie D., but John York's inability to manage the franchise ultimately led to the current state of shit hole that the team has been stuck in for almost a decade. However, since Nolan's signing, York seemed to be a little more willing to open up the checkbook ($80,000 for Nate Clements...) and be more willing to do what it takes to improve the team. Apparently, Nolan had a plan that gave York the confidence to put in a more significant investment. The result? The deepest, most talented roster since 2002.