Mike Nolan Has Been Known to Pout When He Doesn't Get His Way

I see this separation of powers thing working out splendidly in San Francisco. Head coach Mike Nolan was told he could keep his job if he relinquished his de facto general manager duties. He did, he stays. But it's not clear that just because the 49ers now have hired an actual GM -- Scot McCloughan -- everything's rosy. In fact, the opposite seems more likely:

Nolan can be brutally honest and in an interview in his office last October, he admitted that if he wasn't completely in control he'd be apt to blame others. In the 2005 John Feinstein book on the Baltimore Ravens, "Next Man Up," Feinstein describes a scene where Nolan explodes in the coaches' booth at offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh for what Nolan perceived as bad play-calling. Nolan later apologized to Cavanaugh and everyone else for his meltdown.

Awesome. Nothing like the guy in charge looking to blame other people when things don't go his way. Still, I think Nolan has improved the 49ers, and to his credit, when he arrived, there was nothing. But the NFL isn't about moral victories and rebuilding. It's about actual wins and championships.

And if Alex Smith has another rocky outing in 2008 (assuming Shaun Hill doesn't land the job), or the 49ers post another five- or six-win season ... well, Nolan will probably be looking for work this time next year. On the upside, at least he'll be able to say he had nothing to do with the 2008 draft class.