Mike Singletary: Will San Francisco 49ers Coach Be Fired After Loss to Rams?

If you haven't heard yet (trust me, it's not big news), the San Francisco 49ers got eliminated from the playoffs by the St. Louis Rams Sunday, losing 25-17.

In the midst of coach Mike Singletary's midlife crisis, he got in a shouting match with fill-in QB Troy Smith.

This was followed by that other Smith, Alex Smith, coming onto the field to try to lead a desperation comeback.

The question now in Niner Land is: Mike Singletary, should he stay or should he go?

I can hear the collective Niners Nation now, roaring a resounding "Yes!"

But let's make this interesting, shall we? Maybe he's not so bad, after all...maybe. Also, Niners ownership doesn't exactly know what it's doing these days (is Niners ownership a person, or an "it," programmed to malfunction constantly?).

So, will the San Francisco 49ers coach be fired after a loss to the Rams?

5. Yes: He's Lost Control of the Team

There used to be a time in Niner Land when coach Mike Singletary yelling at a player resulted in that player improving his performance (i.e. Vernon Davis in 2008).

But that time is long gone.

Singletary has yelled at both of his starting quarterbacks this season.

Alex Smith just looked really annoyed.

Troy Smith actually yelled back on Sunday (college teammate Ten Ginn Jr. apparently tried to cool the situation off by rubbing a towel in Troy's face).

Singletary's speeches no longer hold any water. He's lost the team and the collective respect from the players.

5. No: He's Had a Horrible QB Situation

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GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 29: Quarterbacks David Carr #5, Alex Smith #11 and Troy Smith #1 of the San Francisco 49ers walk out onto the field before the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 29, 2010 in Gle

Picking between Alex Smith and Troy Smith is like picking between two former college stars that have gone on to do nothing in the NFL...oh wait, it's exactly the same thing.

I'm highly certain (say 50-50) that Singletary flipped a coin to see who would start each game.

Tell me, could anyone win with this pair of knuckleheads (not to mention David Carr as a backup plan)?

4. Yes: He Flip-Flops

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 10: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers talks with quarterback Alex Smith #11 against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on October 10, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Je

One of the most maddening things for a team and a fanbase is when a coach constantly flip-flops and changes his mind on critical aspects of the team.

Like, say, the starting quarterback.

It's sad that at Week 16 the Niners still didn't know who was their starting quarterback and who was their backup.

It wasn't just the quarterback situation, however. Singletary flip-flopped on a number of things during the season, and he started to come across as if he didn't know what he was doing.

4. No: He Flip-Flops

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HERTFORD, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Head Coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers addresses a press conference ahead of The San Francisco 49ers meeting the Denver Broncos in the NFL International Series regular-season match at Wembley Stadium on Octo

Yet flip-flopping can also be a good thing, too.

Like when you have a horrible starting quarterback in Alex Smith, who hasn't gotten it together after five seasons in the NFL.

Sometimes flip-flopping is needed. Sometimes you have to adjust. In fact, in some respects, intelligence has been defined as adjusting when necessary to obstacles unforeseen.

After all, if you continue doing the same thing over and over again and are not getting good results, you would be foolish not to try something else.

3. Yes: He Not Only Flip Flops, He Flips Out a Lot

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers shouts on the sidelines during their game against the St. Louis Rams at Candlestick Park on November 14, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Imag

There used to be a time when Mike Singletary could yell at someone, and it would seem like motivation.

Not it appears as if he's just going crazy.

There's a fine line between motivational speaker and crazy person, and Singletary may have just crossed it.

His players sure don't seem to be that motivated.

3. No: He's Partly Responsible for Vernon Davis' Emergence

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SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 20: Vernon Davis #85 and head coach Mike Singletary of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate a two-point conversion ruling was reversed in their favor due to instant replay during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Candles

This is debatable, but a lot of people will say that when Singletary exploded into a tirade against Vernon Davis and banished him to the locker room in 2008 after a silly penalty, Davis became a new player.

After the banishment, he did appear to mature as a player and a person, not to mention tie the all-time record for touchdown catches for tight ends in 2009 with 13.

In Davis' case, he might have needed someone like Singletary to yell at him.

He's been one of the few Niners who seem to have had Singletary's back this season.

2. Yes: He's Not Fit To Be a Head Coach

Before Mike Singletary became the 49ers head coach, he had never before been a head coach.

There may be a reason for that.

He has appeared overmatched at times this season. He was a linebackers coach with the Baltimore Ravens before, but that's a lot different than being a head coach.

He fired his offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye, midway through the season. Some critics believed he did so not only to look better—he also was reliant on his offensive coordinator because he didn't know what he was doing in the first place.

Note: This photo's of Jimmy Raye being like, "What the heck man? What the heck?"

2. No: He's Not a Bad Coach for Patrick Willis

As Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will attest to, having a Hall of Fame linebacker as your coach isn't too bad a deal.

Patrick Willis has surely learned some things from Singletary by being under his wing.

I haven't heard him complaining too much this season.

1. Yes: The Defense Hasn't Gotten Better As a Whole

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

ST. LOUIS, MO - DECEMBER 26: Danario Alexander #84 of the St. Louis Rams slips out a tackle attempt by Patrick Willis #52 of the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome on December 26, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams beat the 49ers 25-17. (Phot

For someone who prides himself on defense, one thing Coach Singletary was supposed to come in and do for sure is develop the Niners defense into a formidable force.

One of the things that has been overlooked this year in San Francisco amid the offensive turmoil is the defense hasn't gotten any better; in fact, you could argue it's gotten worse.

If a guy can't even succeed in something he was supposed to succeed in, how is he going to succeed in other areas of the game?

1. No: 49ers Played Well Against Their Own Division

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SAN FRANCISCO - DECEMBER 12: Travis LaBoy #54 of the San Francisco 49ers sacks Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks during an NFL game at Candlestick Park on December 12, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

As horrible as the NFC West was this season, they Niners took care of business for the most part. They went 3-1 in the division before Sunday's loss and would have won the division if there was a three-way tie at 7-9.

Division games are indeed a team's most important games.

I don't know if you could say the Niners played well against division foes, but they did play better...for the most part.

That counts for something...doesn't it?

Conclusion

Coach Mike Singletary should be fired from the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite having the most collective talent in the NFC West, he wasn't even able to lead this team to a 7-9 record and become the worst playoff team in history.

How can you give the guy the job after that?

It's time for a change across the board for the Niners.

I'll leave you with this quote, directed at Coach Singletary, from Coach Singletary (slightly altered):

"Cannot play with him, cannot win with him, cannot coach with him, can't do it. I want winners!"