MIKE SINGLETARY on Wednesday unveiled his plan for the 49ers offense. His vision comes from the creative offensive mind of, um, a Hall of Fame middle linebacker.

The new coach wants to run and run and keep running until it is time to throw. Given his affiliation with and affection for defense, Singletary's cautious approach to offense is as predictable as his postseason dismissal of pass-happy offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

Moreover, Singletary's plan is sensible and logical. His best offensive player is running back Frank Gore, and the idea is to make him the centerpiece of the offense.

Cue the groaning among the choir at the church of the West Coast Offense.

See, this sounds a bit too close to the bland, boring Midwest offenses, the kind of Football Singletary became familiar with at Baylor and in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. It's quaint enough to disturb some of those who worship at the glorious brain of Bill Walsh, who was the master of running the offense through the quarterback. Walsh's 49ers ran a ball-control pass offense that was revolutionary and exciting and count the trophies profoundly successful.

Those 49ers, though, did not become great until quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young were able to meet the demands and execute the desires of the head coach. Is it not fair to suggest each did as much for Walsh's legacy as he did for theirs?

Shaun Hill, bless his earnest heart, does not belong in the same house as these three, much less occupying the same penthouse floor. Hill is a journeyman who can do the job. He's smart and fearless, and he has the respect of his teammates. He's a solid passer, perhaps better if he has the benefit of a strong running game.

Hill is not, however, the kind of quarterback around whom an offense should be designed.

"You have to know you can run the Football," Singletary said. "I'm not trying to outsmart anybody. I'm not trying to be a magician. We are playing Football, and we need to be able to run the Football."

Even before he started sifting through candidates to replace Martz, Singletary realized emphasizing the running game is the best way to get the most out of Gore, while also allowing Hill a chance to reach peak efficiency.

Unless you have a Hall of Famer dropping back Peyton Manning, for example a productive running game is the quickest route to victory.

"You look around the league today," Singletary said, "those teams that are successful year in and year out, when it really gets down to it, they are saying, 'You know what? It's been nice playing you. It's been nice to do this. But right now we are going to take the game over and we are going run the Football.' ... You have to be able to do that."

Clearly, Singletary and general manager Scot McCloughan have taken notice of such teams as Carolina, Atlanta, Minnesota, Baltimore and, no doubt, the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. They represent the league's top five rushing teams, each has at least two effective runners and, moreover, all five teams are in the playoffs.

Still, offensive concept is one thing, execution quite another. Singletary is going to need help. He seems to know this. His honeymoon, all love and happiness for now, depends on it.

While expressing faith that his offensive line will be able to meet his desires, the coach also said the team would look to add another lineman or two. Tackle Jonas Jennings is done here and, presumably, so is backup Barry Sims. If Singletary has his way, the 49ers will enter next season with a more physical line.

They also will have another quarterback on the roster. Expect J. T. O'Sullivan to move on. Alex Smith is on the bubble; Singletary would not commit either way. Only Hill seems assured to returning and he'll have to compete to retain his starting status.

Seems fair, for Hill remains a relative novice, and Singletary sees no reason to announce the starter for a game not yet scheduled especially without knowing which quarterbacks he'll have.

He'll have to wait for the new offensive coordinator. We don't know his name, but we can safely presume he won't be associated with the West Coast Offense.

So he'll have to earn his popularity, with the old linebacker's current high approval ratings hanging in the balance.

Contact Monte Poole at mpoole@bayareanewsgroup.com