SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers fired coach Mike Nolan on Monday, seven games into his fourth consecutive dismal season with the club, according to .
Assistant head coach Mike Singletary is expected to take over the 49ers (2-5), who got off to a 2-1 start before four consecutive losses culminating in Sunday’s 29-17 loss to the Giants.
Instead of delaying the decision until the 49ers’ bye week following Sunday’s home game against Seattle, owner John York apparently didn’t wait to get rid of his choice to revive the five-time Super Bowl champions, who have endured five consecutive losing seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since 2002.
Nolan is 18-37 in 3 1/2 seasons with the 49ers, who hired the veteran defensive coordinator to run every aspect of the club in January 2005. Though Nolan brought back a measure of respectability to the franchise, which had the NFL’s worst record in 2004 before his arrival, the 49ers haven’t managed a winning season or made a significant impact on the league in his tenure.
Nolan was the third NFL coach to be dismissed during the season, joining Oakland’s Lane Kiffin and St. Louis’ Scott Linehan. He is in the fourth season of a five-year, $8 million contract.
