Former Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary has been named Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Singletary, known as "Samurai" during his brilliant career as Bears middle linebacker in the '80's takes over for the deposed Mike Nolan with the Niners having lost four straight games.  Nolan, son of the late 49ers and Saints coach Dick Nolan was a bust with the Niners going 18-37 in 3½ seasons in San Francisco. 

Here's the rub for the Hall of Fame Linebacker and revered Chicago Bear: he gets a look until the end of the season.  Unless he can pull a Jim Haslett and miraculously raise his team from the dead, his career as a head coach may be short lived.

Singletary does fit the profile of "The Ted Williams Parable" which says that great players do not make great coaches.  However, Singletary may be able to get over that hump as he, himself once played for a great player who turned out to be a pretty decent head coach.  Some guy named Ditka.

If Singletary can manage to pull a Lazarus act with the 49ers, he'll probably get a chance next year.  He is an experienced assistant, having served under Nolan since 1992 when the two joined up in Baltimore.  He also was a de facto assistant coach under former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who relied on Singletary's incredible on field vision to call defensive audibles.

The Niners are a messed up organization and have been since the York family wrestled control of the franchise away from former owner Eddie DeBartolo in 2000.  Moving forward, Singletary's biggest worry may be if he's inherited the Titanic post iceberg.  That and knowing that Alex Smith, a huge draft bust, is on his roster.

Good luck, Samurai.  You are going to need it.  It's a pity John Belushi isn't still around for this.