The Date is February 28

Hostler has just been named our new coordinator. Nolan says he was impressed by the fact that Hostler had been putting together phantom game plans for the previous two seasons as if he were coordinator.

Flash forward to week 5 of the 2007 season. The Niner still have phantom game plans that are resulting in a historically bad offense. Everyone is confused. Frank Gore has basically insinuated he doesn't trust Hostler: "It's trust, man. We've got to trust that the boys on the field are going to play hard. We've got to trust that the offensive coordinator is calling the right thing."

The following criteria were used in the OC search after Norville Turner high-tailed it to drag his reputation as a shit head coach through the mud one last time:

1) Putting the run game together
2) Putting the pass game together
3) Implementing the team's protection scheme
4) Game-planning
5) Calling a game
6) Chemistry, and how the new coach would fit into the staff
7) Coaching and communicating with quarterbacks

I'm going to make two concessions here. First, Nolan's back was to the wall since Turner left so late and it would have been murder to install a new system so quickly. Second, Hostler probably does 6 and 7 pretty well. Smith and Dilfer seemed to have nothing but the best things to say about him and the coaching staff has circled the wagons around him after the all-out assault on him. But we haven't seen any indication of #1-#5 thus far.

Hopefully we do starting 10 days from today. VD and Alex Smith should and could, respectively, be back for the game.