Singletary fired after 49ers knocked out of playoff contention

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Singletary was fired by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after two disappointing seasons, including a 5-10 showing this year for a franchise expected to win the NFC West.

The team made the announcement late Sunday upon returning to the Bay Area, several hours after San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention with a 25-17 loss at St. Louis. Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted to interim coach and will run the team in next Sunday's season finale at home against Arizona. He was to be formally introduced in a news conference set for Monday at 3 p.m. ET.

Team president and CEO Jed York addressed reporters in St. Louis after the Niners' loss Sunday and was noncommittal about whether Singletary would coach the final game, saying he planned to think about it. Singletary was told of his dismissal back at the team's Santa Clara complex after the trip home.

"I want to thank Mike Singletary for the passion and effort that he brought to this organization," York said in a statement. "He is a tremendous person for whom I will always have great respect."

San Francisco began the year with high hopes of winning the West and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002. Singletary finished with an 18-22 record in two-plus seasons.

"One of the greatest experiences of my life was having the opportunity to coach the San Francisco 49ers," Singletary said in a statement. "What made it so special were the players. They were some of the most outstanding men I have ever been around in my life. The coaches were truly professionals. I wish the 49ers nothing but the best. I am thankful to the York family for having given me the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. I am indebted to them for that. I am also thankful for the Faithful fans, I am just sorry I couldn't give them more."

The 49ers began 0-5 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh time in eight years. They went 8-8 in Singletary's first full season, then produced an unbeaten preseason this year only to drop their first five games. It was the franchise's worst start since losing seven in a row to begin a 2-14 season in 1979 -- in the late Hall of Famer Bill Walsh's first year as coach.

No team has recovered from an 0-5 start to reach the playoffs, but the 49ers would have made it if they had defeated the Rams and won again next Sunday. If that had happened, San Francisco would have won the tiebreaker over Seattle and St. Louis to win the division and become the first team with a losing record in a non-strike season to make the playoffs.

"You know what, I'll put it this way: a personal failure. I'm the head coach of this team and obviously wanted us to do better, felt that we could do better," Singletary said after Sunday's loss. "There are some obvious questions that I hoped would be answered as the season went on, and obviously were not answered. When that happens, you end up out of the playoffs.

"I take full responsibility for every unanswered question."

The 52-year-old Singletary, who first took over as coach on an interim basis when Mike Nolan was fired in October 2008 and soon declared "I want winners!" had two years remaining on his contract. York -- son of owner John York -- seems ready for major change around the Niners despite having to pay Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker during his playing days for the Chicago Bears.

"Money is no object," Jed York said in St. Louis. "I mean, our object is to win the Super Bowl, year in and year out be there and compete for Super Bowls. We're going to make sure we get this right."

Initially, Singletary seemed to be the man to do it, with his way of ripping into a player one minute then finding a way to turn it into a positive.

During his debut in place of Nolan -- a 34-13 loss to the Seahawks on Oct. 26, 2008 -- Singletary pulled down his pants in the locker room at halftime to make a point, benched struggling quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill, and sent now-Pro Bowl and captain tight end Vernon Davis to the showers early for what he deemed inappropriate behavior following a personal foul penalty. Afterward, Singletary called out his team with the now infamous "I want winners" speech.

"I'd rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team," Singletary said. "It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win."

This year, Singletary fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye after Week 3, then lost secondary coach and special assistant Johnnie Lynn when he resigned for personal reasons earlier this month.

Singletary switched quarterbacks three different times, starting with Alex Smith, going to Troy Smith for five games even after Alex Smith's hurt non-throwing shoulder had healed, then back to Alex Smith for two games before Troy Smith started Sunday -- only to give way to Alex Smith in the fourth quarter after Troy Smith had a heated exchange with Singletary.

"I'm not worried about individual things like that. What bothers me is we come in here, this is a playoff-caliber game, and we didn't get it done," York said. "And that's the bottom line."

York said he plans to hire a general manager and will open a search to fill the job. Since former GM Scot McCloughan departed last March -- and ended up with Seattle -- in what York called a "mutual parting," San Francisco's football operations have been run by vice president of player personnel Trent Baalke. He was responsible for selecting two offensive linemen with the team's first-round draft picks in April, and both Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati are starters on the Niners' revamped offensive line.

York was asked whether a new general manager would help in a potential coaching search.

"We'll have a general manager, and as we go forward, that will be something that the general manager and I discuss together," York said after the game.

Finding a quarterback will be another priority. Alex Smith most certainly will be gone after this season once the 2005 No. 1 overall pick's contract expires.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Singletary confirms 49ers to start Troy Smith at QB vs. Rams

The San Francisco 49ers are going back to Troy Smith as their starting quarterback while leaving open the possibility they might switch to Alex Smith at any time.

NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported the move Wednesday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

Coach Mike Singletary confirmed Thursday that Troy Smith will start Sunday's pivotal NFC West game against the St. Louis Rams in place of Alex Smith, who started San Francisco's last two games.

The coach also said he wouldn't hesitate to change quarterbacks during the game if the situation calls for it.

"You know what, it's kind of the same thing I've talked about all year," Singletary told reporters. "I feel that Troy has certain strengths, as well as Alex, and I think the way it works out, it is -- you know, we could possibly use them both. ... The game will dictate it.

"Even though Troy is going to be the starter, we're making sure that the game plan is such that we can possibly use both their strengths in this game."

The 49ers have changed quarterbacks after each of their last two defeats in an attempt to salvage a losing season. At 5-9, San Francisco still has an opportunity to capture the NFC West title and end a seven-year playoff drought by winning its final two games, against St. Louis and Arizona.

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Troy Smith, who didn't join the 49ers until Sept. 6, has remained focused throughout the week on his second chance as San Francisco's starter. He went 3-2 in his five games as a starter earlier this season after taking over for Alex Smith in late October. Troy Smith had a career-high 356 yards passing to lead the 49ers to a 23-20 overtime victory Nov. 14 against St. Louis.

"This is huge for me," Troy Smith said. "For any player to be able to play in a game of this magnitude, be a part of something special, it's going to be pretty big for all of us. The knick-knacks and the other little things that are going on around us, we're definitely channeling that out and worrying about winning this game."

The 49ers went back to Alex Smith two weeks ago after Troy Smith completed just 10 of 25 passes during a 34-16 loss at Green Bay. Alex Smith had statistically the best game of his career the following week during a 40-21 victory over Seattle, but he and the San Francisco offense could muster only 192 total yards during last week's 34-7 loss at San Diego.

Alex Smith began this season 1-6 as San Francisco's starter before separating his left shoulder during a Week 7 loss at Carolina. Selected by the 49ers with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft, Alex Smith is 18-31 as the team's starter.

Singletary was asked if he was concerned that the news broke before he revealed it.

"That's kind of the way it is, whether it's around the league," he said. "When you have Twitter, when you have all of the other things ... I don't want to have this organization be like the firm, you know, 'I don't want you to say anything.' ... I knew it was a matter of time before it would get out.

"There are things that I absolutely do not want to get out, that won't. But you just have to limit who you're telling. So I knew it was a matter of time before it would get out."

The 49ers have become accustomed this season to change within their offensive unit.

"We've been through everything you can go through as an offense really," wide receiver Michael Crabtree said. "It's difficult, but you just have to take what they give you and keep going. I'm just trying to stay positive about the whole situation and be ready to play this game Sunday."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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