There's a Good Chance 49ers Could Part Ways With Mike Martz at Season's End

This sounds about right: the 49ers could be looking for a new offensive coordinator come January. According to the Sacramento Bee's Matthew Barrows, who had the unenviable task of recapping the first half of San Francisco's forgettable 2-6 season, the team could part ways with Mike Martz after less than a year on the job.

...And even if Mike Singletary somehow salvages the season, his style already seems to be at odds with that of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. There's a very good chance that in 2009 the 49ers will be on their seventh offensive coordinator in seven years. The team can talk about building upon a solid foundation all it wants. The reality is that they'll largely be starting over - again -- next season.

Yep, that's right: seven offensive coordinators in seven seasons. It's sorta hard to create any continuity when the playbook changes every year. This isn't to suggest that Martz should keep his gig for just that reason; in fact, he probably should be canned for verbalizing his belief that J.T. O'Sullivan could be the best quarterback he ever coached. I think Kurt Warner's and Marc Bulger's legacies are safe.

So the problem, it seems, is that the front office has failed -- repeatedly -- to identify coaches who would actually be good fits in San Francisco. Some of Alex Smith's failures have been blamed on the annual turnover at offensive coordinator, and the one guy who actually excelled at the gig, Norv Turner, ended up taking the Chargers head coaching job.

What does this mean going forward? Well, as Barrows writes, the 2009 49ers will, like the six 49ers teams before it, be rebuilding. On the bright side, there's a good chance Mike Singletary will be around to provide comic relief. Because, really, laughter is the best medicine.