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Fixing broken class: from hiring a coach to selecting a franchise quarterback, through a videotape scandal and the tragic loss of a player, this is the inside story of the 49ers' restoration
Sporting News, The, Sept 23, 2005 by Paul Attner
Nolan already has convinced York about something else. He wants to be the voice of the franchise, removing the owner as the target for everything 49ers. York agrees. This now will be the coach's show.
The early days
A few hours after his introductory press conference on January 19, Mike Nolan walks into the head coach's office. This is where Bill Walsh and George Seifert and Steve Mariucci once sat; even the furniture hasn't changed. It hits him. "This is a really big job," he thinks. Something else. "This furniture is really, really old." By the start of training camp, the furniture is gone amid an office redecoration.
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In three months, Nolan will make the first pick in the draft. But on this day, there's no one in charge of personnel, no assistant coaches. And York has decided not to hire a general manager. He's tired of front office bickering, and he admires how the Eagles and Patriots have succeeded splendidly with a coach-and-personnel director setup. But Nolan has final say over all personnel decisions, including the draft. In essence, he is the G.M. despite no front office or drafting experience.
Two weeks later, Scot McCloughan, 34, is given player personnel responsibilities, reporting directly to York. Previously the Seahawks' director of college scouting, McCloughan is a protege of Ron Wolf's and, like Nolan, the son of a football guy. His dad, Kent, played for the Raiders and still is a scout. Nolan and McCloughan have met once, at Scot's interview; now they have the difficult challenge of developing a relationship amid the pressure of making that No. 1 choice.
York signs off on Nolan's plan to methodically rebuild the roster. "You can take the junior college approach and bring in lots of pretty girls and never get it right, or you can be smarter," Nolau says. "In this league, if you do it right, you can get it done pretty rapidly." The 49ers have cap room but will sign only two expensive free agents, tackle Jonas Jennings and defensive end Marques Douglas. Nolan also won't blindly purge a roster woefully lacking in depth and stars. Instead, he will gradually add his kind of player: smart, tough, passionate, caring about teammates. He keeps calling it his vision; it's what drives him. For now, improvement will come from strong coaching and from players he finds are more skillful than he first thought.
Nolan is not a sexy hire. He knows critics wanted Pete Carroll or Mike Holmgren. Nor is he imposing. At 5-11,175 pounds, he is wiry thin and softly handsome. Dan Reeves, who first brought him into the league as a Broncos assistant, once told him he should go to Hollywood. He is genuine, intense, decisive and confident in his ability to judge people and talent. And he hates the hypocrisy of his profession. But he also laughs easily and frequently at himself. His marriage is particularly neat. He and Kathy are affectionate and complementary. Warm and caring, she bakes cookies for the coaches every Tuesday and organizes lunches for their wives. He takes on very little without discussing it with her first. He has few friends, trusts few people. That's why it's important to have Mike Singletary, the former Bears great who was the Ravens' linebackers coach, as assistant head coach. Singletary is someone he can lean on. Trust is also why Nolan hires his sister Nancy to be his administrative aide.
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