You have it right Defy, except the part about not needing a new Head Coach. While I feel Nolan could be a good HC, here's why it won't happen in SF: He's stubborn. He will not get a new, GOOD QB because he chose Alex Smith #1 overall. It was his first draft choice, ever. He made a mistake, but he will not admit it and without doing so he will not make a change. Until he goes we will not have a good QB.
Reliable receiver you say? Fuck just being reliable, we need a damn playmaker. Rumors have it Chad Johnson will be on the trade block next season. Will the Niners make a run for him? Not with Mike Nolan in charge. Why? Because he is a pussy and thinks the draft is the only way to build a winning team. He'd be afraid to give up any picks to acquire a proven playmaker. He needs to understand the draft is not a for-sure method (you figure he'd know that because of Alex Smith), and sometimes you have to go after big names who are proven in the league. There has to be a mixture of the draft and acquiring veteran players, not just one or the other.
As for the OC.. We will be stuck with Hostler until the end of the season, obviously. But if Nolan were truly a good HC he would have stripped Hostler of his duties weeks ago.
I thought Nolan would be a good coach.. He made some major improvements from his first to second year, and last offseason he brought in some good talent. But that talent means nothing this season because the coaching is ass.