Uni Watch is proud to live in America -- a country where we celebrate individuality, where virtue is rewarded, where our civic institutions aren't for sale. And, of course, where a man can command the respect of his peers by wearing a nice suit to work.

Oops. Well, 0-for-4 isn't bad (just ask A-Rod). But it looks like that average will improve to .250 this Sunday, because the NFL has finally given 49ers coach Mike Nolan permission to wear a suit on the sideline.

As you may recall, Nolan wanted to wear a suit upon taking over San Francisco's coaching reins in 2005, in part as a tribute to his dad, who suited up while coaching the Niners in the early 1970s. But the league office put the kibosh on that idea, citing regulations that require today's coaches to wear Reebok-branded sportswear (because people are practically sprinting to the mall to buy a polo shirt after seeing it modeled by Andy Reid).

The irony of the NFL not letting a grown man dress like, umm, a grown man wasn't lost on Uni Watch readers, some of whom actually whipped up design proposals that might pass muster with league officials (dig the Hank Stram influence).

Nolan apparently had similar ideas. Turns out he's been working behind the scenes with the league and Reebok to come up with a suitable suit. The news that he'll be busting out the formal threads this Sunday was broken on Tuesday night by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and by Wednesday evening the league had confirmed it. In a surprising bonus, the league also announced that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio would be suited up this Sunday. The suits will be designed by Reebok, but it's not clear whether they'll carry the company's logo. Uni Watch's hunch: Look for the coaches to wear logo pins, like Sylvia Hatchell's lapel swoosh.

Uni Watch notes with a raised eyebrow that Nolan and Del Rio are only being permitted to wear their suits two times apiece -- which, by interesting coincidence, is the same number of times an NFL team is allowed to wear throwback uniforms each season. It's not hard to see where this is going: By next year, expect to see coaches going the jacket-and-tie route for their teams' throwback games, providing a full-on retro look.

But c'mon, why not let the coaches dress like grown-ups all the time if that's what they want? Face it, most coaches aren't exactly ideal sportswear models, and besides, there are other uni-related implications to consider: Tom Landry's fedora may have seemed a bit stuffy, but it also led to history's all-time coolest memorial patch. What sort of icon will symbolize today's coaches -- a Reebok polo shirt?

In fact, instead of allowing coaches to suit up, the NFL should be requiring them to do so -- or at least some of them. Forget about Nolan and Del Rio, who are the kind of trim, clean-cut guys who'd probably look preppy even if you dressed them in torn jeans and a T-shirt. But there are other coaches out there who could really benefit from a trip the men's shop.

You probably think Uni Watch is referring to the NFL's resident street urchin. But you'd be wrong. Whatever you think of Bill Belichick's, er, stylings, his look is uniquely his own (when it's time to memorialize him, the Pats can simply wear a jersey patch depicting a ratty sweatshirt), which is more than most NFL coaches can say. Uni Watch votes to leave him be.

Several other coaches, however, are veritable poster children for sideline haberdashery reform. Here are the leading candidates, and the pros and cons of putting each of them in a jacket and tie:

• Bill Parcells
Pros: Easier to find a good-fitting suit than a good-fitting mansiere. … No need to be outfitted with new team-specific clothing when coaching next team. … If he dressed like a grown-up, maybe he'd act like one.

Cons: Might take shirt-buying advice from Jerry Jones. … The inevitable suit-related end zone celebration by Terrell Owens.

• Tony Dungy
Pros: Padded shoulders and a boxy fit might deflect rumors that the notoriously skinny-bordering-on-skeletal coach hasn't eaten in three weeks. … If you're gonna habitually fold your arms (as seen here, here, here, here, here, here and here -- and that's just a small sampling), you may as well show off some snazzy cuff links.

Cons: On second thought, folding your arms while wearing a suit just looks stupid.

• Andy Reid
Pros: A few yards of tailored fabric can cover a multitude of sins chocolate pudding. … Does anyone really want to see this again the next time Reid coaches the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl?

Cons: Philly fans will boo the suit.

• Dennis Green
Pros: Not well-served by current team sportswear. … See Parcells mansiere comment. … New suit will come in handy for all those job interviews he'll soon be facing.

Cons: Photographic evidence suggests that a mansiere might still be necessary. … Given this team's ability to mess up just about anything, the suit will probably be a size too small or have a hole in the crotch or something.

So there's the field: Parcells, Dungy, Reid, Green, and we'll throw in Belichick for good measure. Which one should be the next to suit up? Cast your vote.

Meanwhile, Back on the Field …
Coaches aren't the only ones looking to strike a more formal pose in the NFL. At least two members of the Saints appeared to have dress-shirt collars peeking out from under their jerseys on Sunday (which, as reader Rony In points out, is the same stunt Santana Moss pulled last year). For further details, look here, and scroll down to the "Collar Controversy Continued" section here.

And in yet another bit of menswear news, did you notice that several NHL coaches and at least one NBA coach were wearing lapel poppies last week? For details on that (along with info on the super-cool new Uni Watch temporary tattoos), look here.

College Hoops Roundup
As Uni Watch had suspected, last week's college hoops season preview column, extensive as it was, had plenty of omissions. Here's a quick rundown of additional schools with new unis this season, with big thanks to everyone who wrote in to contribute info:

Ball State (old, new); Bradley (normal world, NikeWorld); Butler (old home, new home; old road, new road); Central Michigan (old home, new home; old road, new road); Dayton (old, new); Detroit (normal world, NikeWorld); George Washington (a red shoulder band in memory of GWU alum Red Auerbach); Holy Cross (old, new); Indiana State (old, new); James Madison (old, new); Lamar (new black alternate design); New Mexico (normal world, NikeWorld); NC State (old home, old road, new); North Texas (old, new); Notre Dame (old, new); Oregon State (normal world, NikeWorld); Rutgers (old, new); Southern Illinois (normal world, NikeWorld, and that jersey patch is being worn by all Missouri Valley Conference teams, to celebrate the MVC's 100th anniversary); Texas A&M (old, new); Texas Tech (old, new); Utah State (old, new); and Vanderbilt (normal world, NikeWorld).

Phew! Are we still missing a few schools? You know what to do.

And speaking of college hoops and NikeWorld, a source who prefers to remain anonymous offers the following: "Florida, Syracuse, Arizona and Ohio State will be wearing new uniforms only during the NCAA Tournament. Nike reps have been getting opinions from the players and talking about the new design. It's hard to explain the style of the uniforms, but the closest thing would be 'space suit.' The tops are tailored and come in suit sizes (36, 42, 48, etc.). They are very, very tight, almost like an extreme women's jersey. Only these four schools will get the uniforms, and they'll be worn only for the tournament."

Hmmm, hoops in space? This latest Nike scheme merits further investigation -- stay tuned.

Paul Lukas works out of his home, so he almost never has to wear a suit. His Uni Watch blog, which is updated daily, is here, his answers to Frequently Asked Questions are here, and archives of his columns are available here, here, and here. Got feedback for him, or want to be added to his mailing list so you'll always know when a new column has been posted? Contact him here.