Mike Singletary's most famous coaching moment came during a postgame tirade after an incident with tight end Vernon Davis. He doesn't want that to be the signature moment of his coaching career.
The San Francisco 49ers fired Singletary two years ago and replaced him with Jim Harbaugh, who led the team to the NFC Championship in 2011 and then to Super Bowl XLVII this season. Singletary was one of 14 interviewed this month for the Bears opening. Quarterback guru Marc Trestman was hired, however, as the Bears wanted an offensive mind to replace the defensive Lovie Smith.
"It's hard to put into words," Singletary recently told the Chicago Sun-Times. "You play at a place, and you remember what it was like and what it took to get where you needed to go. To sit up there and talk about that job was unlike anything I've ever experienced."
The Rooney Rule has been the topic of discussion after all 15 coaching and general manager jobs open this offseason were filled by white men. Singletary doesn't want to be next in the line of African-American coaches who didn't get a second-chance at a top NFL job, but he isn't upset with the process.
"I just believe there are a lot of guys out there that are worthy," Singletary said about minority candidates. "But there are also some white coaches out there who are worthy who don't get interviews. So it goes both ways."
Singletary coached linebackers for the Minnesota Vikings the past two seasons and will continue to patiently wait for another opportunity that so many "retreads" normally get.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.
