That was, of course, until this year. We're seven weeks into the 2008 NFL season and we've already seen three NFL coaches fired. Mike Nolan, axed by 49ers brass on Monday, joins Lane Kiffin in Oakland and Scott Linehan in St. Louis on the dubious list of coaches shown the exit door before the final curtain.

What can other NFL coaches learn from this? Here are six things we've learned not to do:

1. Don't have a public soap opera with a franchise quarterback that you drafted: After a promising finish to the 2006 season, the 49ers suffered through a horrendous 5-11 campaign in '07. The nosedive was highlighted by an ongoing and ultimately public feud between Nolan, the team's third-year coach, and 2005 first overall pick Alex Smith. When Nolan and 49ers personnel chief Scott McCloughlan selected Smith, they envisioned a mobile, crafty gunslinger similar to the one they saw lead an undefeated Utah team to a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2004. What they got was inconsistency, a longer adjustment period than expected and, ultimately, public warfare with the head coach.

The relationship between Smith and Nolan deteriorated last year because of a complete lack of respect and communication. Though his shoulder was banged up and his play was suffering, the young quarterback publicly denied any injuries. Once Smith admitted to being injured, his coach came off as completely unsympathetic. In the end, Smith accused Nolan of undermining him in the locker room, too. Who was right or wrong makes no difference. Locker room beefs and coach-quarterback drama should never become public knowledge. It's just not good for business.

The real kicker? Smith, out for the year with yet another injury, is still employed by the Niners, while Nolan is not.

2. Don't have a horribly tenuous relationship with the man who signs your checks: There are apparently lawsuits yet to be filed and whatnot, so we don't know what really went on in Oakland over the past two years. But what we do know is this: Lane Kiffin didn't like Al Davis, and Al Davis didn't like Lane Kiffin. And that's a tremendous understatement. In his infamous press conference a few weeks ago, Davis used some pretty heavy words in explaining his reasoning behind firing Kiffin. Among them: "propaganda," "lying," "bringing disgrace to the organization," and the kicker: referring to the young coach as "a flat-out liar." This is not good. Not good at all.

Though it seemed as though Kiffin wanted out of Oakland as much as Davis wanted him out, the words "propaganda" and "flat-out liar" are not things a 31-year-old guy wants on his resume, regardless of his profession.

3. Don't coach a game like you're a man who knows he is coaching his last game: Both Linehan and Kiffin coached their final games with an obvious stench of desperation. Against the Bills in Week 4, the Rams ran three reverse plays and went for it on 4th-and-3 from the Buffalo 42 . . . in the first half! Linehan opted to start 38-year-old Trent Green over healthy perennial Pro Bowler Marc Bulger and released starting cornerback Fakhir Brown earlier in the week. That same Sunday against the Chargers, Lane Kiffin sent Sebastian Janikowski out to attempt a 76-yard field goal at the end of the first half. These are not the moves coaches with strong senses of job security make. Hell, these are not the moves a 10-year-old playing "Madden" makes.