In the wake of Wednesday's announced organizational shell game, owners John and Denise York are being painted as roaring incompetents. Embattled offensive coordinator Jim Hostler has been judged a worthy recipient of a one-way ticket on the Marc Trestman train to The Heck Outta Here.

Golf claps all around for the promotion of Scot McCloughan to (assuming we understand this correctly) General Manager in Charge of Not Hurting Mike Nolan's Feelings.

Finally, there's Nolan himself, now as before the self-appointed voice, face and nose of the 49ers. Apparently he strikes people as a blustering, insecure, overmatched poser who doesn't know what he doesn't know. And — heading into his fourth season as the team's head coach having been stripped of his super-user status — a duck in an orthopedic boot.

That's the smell outside the building, and it appears to be unanimous. But never fear. We're here to help.

Where the Yorks' management style is concerned, well, we're not miracle workers. After a decade of operating in an expertise-free zone, they do in fact appear indecisive and clueless.

But Nolan, it says here, is not unsalvageable. Not if he commences reinventing himself this minute with the aid of two items which, as luck would have it, are in his inbox as we speak.

No. 1: Hire a crackerjack offensive coordinator. Last year Nolan was left in a bind when Norv Turner left the 49ers on short notice to become the San Diego Chargers head coach. That led to Hostler's ill- fated promotion.

There is no excuse now. We are in the early days of the NFL's coach hiring calendar, and familiar names are already being thrown about. Mike Martz was recently let go by Detroit, but he's a little too mad genius-as-loose cannon for the button-down Nolan.

Brian Billick is out as the head coach at Baltimore. He coordinated a spectacular offense with the Minnesota Vikings. But in nine years with the Ravens, he never solved their quarterback problem.

Cam Cameron, fired as Miami's head coach Thursday, might be more the ticket. Before his lost season in Miami, he did a nice job as the offensive coordinator in San Diego. Granted, he had pieces to work with in running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates. But he also midwifed quarterback Philip Rivers though his first season as an NFL starter.

The 49ers struck gold two years ago with Turner, an offensive coordinator who'd just flamed out as a head coach. Why not try the same thing now? Or maybe there's an eminently qualified, overlooked talent out there. Hey, Nolan's the football guy. He's the one who needs to dazzle us.

Item No. 2: Locate Alex Smith, wherever he is, and spend a few days away from the office in an honest effort to forge a personal relationship with the player who was drafted to be a franchise quarterback. Whatever Smith's professional destiny might be, he has little chance to succeed with the 49ers if the disconnect between him and Nolan is not resolved.

Considering that Steve Mariucci once flew cross-country for an offseason sit-down with Terrell Owens, you'd figure this to be the least Nolan could do in the interest of a better tomorrow for the 49ers.

And about that: Keep in mind that as recently as four months ago, Nolan had presided over steady, if incremental, improvement of the franchise. He had jumped the team from two wins to four, from four wins to seven, and to a 2-0 start to the '07 season. He (and McCloughan) drafted Smith, upgraded the offense (however modestly), got the salary cap under control, then loaded up on defense.

It fell apart over this season's final 14 games, of course, for reasons both in and out of Nolan's control. If Nolan appears at a loss for answers, so did Romeo Crennel a year ago after his Cleveland Browns backslid from six wins to four (they won 10 games for him this season). If Nolan has lost some face, so did Mike Holmgren after being stripped of his GM duties in Seattle after the '04 season (he led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in '05). So did Bill Walsh after being stripped of the 49ers' presidency after the '87 season (he won the Super Bowl after the '88 season).

Granted, the wind isn't blowing at Nolan's back right now. He is being pilloried in print, online and everywhere people meet along the autobahn to judgment. It's on him to change the weather, and he must start now and proceed without a false step.