49ers' tight end Vernon Davis is thought of highly by his teammates, who claim he is a hard-worker and a good guy both on and off the field. "Whenever you're in here on Monday and you're watching the game film, you see extra effort plays from him," quarterback Shaun Hill said. "He's not a prima donna out there. There's been times when he's been asked to block great defensive ends one on one in pass protection. And he's done it. There's not many tight ends in this league that you can ask to do that." Frank Gore, who gets frustrated from time-to-time with the team's offense, concurs with Hill. "He's just so competitive," Gore said. "He just wants to make plays. And it hasn't happened yet and it's frustrating. I told him, 'You know, you just have to keep doing what you're doing. And one thing you're doing is blocking your behind off.' It'll come."

49ers' coach Mike Singletary explained on Friday why he dropped his pants in front of the team at halftime of their loss to the Seahawks last Sunday. "The only point I was tying to make is 'Guys, this is what's happening on the field,' " Singletary said on a radio show Friday. "There are a lot of different words to express it ... there are a lot different things to try and get it across. But I've only got so much time [at halftime]. "I'm just telling you this is what I see happening out there -- we're getting our tails kicked, we need to figure out a different way, let's go out there and get it done."

San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary pulled down his pants during halftime of the team's loss to Seattle in Week Eight. "He was just dramatizing how embarrassing it was," 49ers director of public relations Aaron Salkin said. Singletary was reportedly wearing underwear. "I used my pants to illustrate that we were getting our tails whipped on Sunday and how humiliating that should feel for all of us," Singletary said in a statement. "I needed to do something to dramatize my point; there were other ways I could have done it but I think this got the message across. I am excited about having the team back at practice on Monday so we can get back to work."

49ers' Coach Mike Singletary claims that tight end Vernon Davis isn't among the team's "cancers". "Every team has them, but it's how you deal with them," Singletary said. "It's how mature your team is, if you're able to deal with those guys. It's how your leaders on that team respond to them." "Sometimes it's not a big deal. You just shut them down." However, Davis, who was sent to the locker room midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday, isn't considered to be one of the team's problems. "Vernon is not a problem guy," Singletary said. "Vernon just forgets sometimes that the team is more important."

Niners' coach Mike Singletary named Shaun Hill the team?s starting quarterback when San Francisco returns from their bye to face the Arizona Cardinals on November 10, according to Yahoo.com on Monday.

The NFL Network reported on Sunday that the 49ers were willing to explore the idea of hiring Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as team president, but the team has denied the rumor. "If she's interested in talking to us, I'm interested in talking to her," a high-ranking team official told Adam Schefter of the NFL Network. Rice reportedly told friends as recently as last week that she would love to become president of an NFL team. 49ers officials dismissed the topic before kickoff Sunday. Team spokesman Aaron Salkin said: "We don't respond to rumors." He went on to say, "We have our office structure in place."

49ers head coach Mike Singletary made an impact in his first game on Sunday against the Seahawks, benching quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and tight end Vernon Davis in the loss. O'Sullivan was benched after his 11th fumble of the season, while Singletary sent Davis to the locker room with more than ten minutes left in the game. "I told him that he would do a better job for us right now taking a shower and coming back and watching the game than going out on the field," Singletary said of Davis. "Simple as that." "I'd rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team," Singletary added. "It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win."

New 49ers' Head Coach Mike Singletary hopes to build on the foundation formed by Mike Nolan and believes that the team has something special. "Right now, the guys realize that we do have something here," Singletary said. "To what degree, I don't know, but we do have something special here. It's a matter of stepping in and being able to bring it together, and that's something I've done all my life." Singletary, a former linebacker who made the Hall of Fame during his stellar career with the Bears, acknowledged mixed feelings when the 49ers asked him to be the interim successor to Nolan.

49ers' VP Jed York indicated the firing of Mike Nolan, who has now been replaced by Mike Singletary, had been contemplated for awhile. "We had hoped to get to the bye week (after Sunday's home game against Seattle)," he said. "We didn't think it was fair to the team to let the rumors linger going into an important week for us." In an interview with The Chronicle on Monday morning, York had said Nolan's job was safe for the time being. "What changed," he said later, "was there were numerous reports (that Nolan would be fired) that were a distraction."

Mike Nolan has confirmed to FOX Sports that he has been fired by the San Francisco 49ers. Nolan was informed of the decision late Monday afternoon. It is assumed that current defensive coordinator Mike Singletary will takeover Nolan's coaching duties. The 49ers began the season with a 2-1 record, but have now lost their last four games.