The worst NFL coaching tenures of all time

The late Nineteen Eighties featured worse Cowboys groups, however the early 2000s lowered America’s Staff to sustained mediocrity. Jerry Jones promoted Campo, his former Tremendous Bowl-winning longtime defensive coordinator, in 2000. A playoff crew below Chan Gailey in 1998 and ’99, Dallas posted three straight 5-11 seasons below Campo. In Campo’s protection, Dallas bumped into QB instability after Troy Aikman’s 2001 retirement and traded two first-round picks for Joey Galloway. However Campo’s “Arduous Knocks” work impressed much less confidence than simply about any coach within the sequence’ historical past. And Invoice Parcells took the ’03 Cowboys, with comparable QB points, to the playoffs.

As a result of the pre-Jim Mora Saints require a consultant right here, North having Archie Manning on the controls and churning out three bottom-tier offenses is the choose. An offensive-oriented coach, North went 11-23 in two-plus seasons with the Saints. Manning, the second-best quarterback in Saints historical past, completed the 1975 season with a 7-20 TD-INT ratio. The Saints didn’t rank larger than twenty fourth offensively below North, who was fired after a 1-6 begin to the ’75 marketing campaign. Although, to be honest, any of the first 4 Saints HCs deserve consideration. 

Practically 10 years after the Rams made Svare one of many youngest head-coaching hires in NFL historical past, the Chargers named him their GM in 1971. He traded arguably the perfect participant in Chargers historical past (wideout Lance Alworth) for a modest return however quickly took over head-coaching duties from Sid Gillman, the highest coach in Bolts annals. Svare went 7-17-2 however made some unusual strikes, together with buying and selling a 32-year-old QB John Hadl to the Rams in 1973. Hadl earned All-Professional acclaim that fall. Though Svare give up as Chargers head coach halfway by means of the ’73 season, he stayed on as GM by means of 1976. A bizarre time for the franchise.

The interim coach after entrance workplace czar Scott Pioli canned Todd Haley in 2011, Crennel oversaw the Chiefs ruining the Packers’ bid for a 16-0 season. That booked the ex-Browns head coach the full-time gig in 2012, and the Chiefs plunged into one other valley. The ’12 Chiefs rostered six Professional Bowlers and went 2-14; their four-Professional Bowler protection ranked twenty fifth in factors allowed. Crennel was saddled with Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn as his QBs, nonetheless. The unthinkable Jovan Belcher tragedy occurred in Crennel’s ultimate days. Andy Reid led a similar-looking Chiefs crew, although with Alex Smith, to an 11-5 file in 2013.

This placement comes all the way down to a fateful day in April 1999. The architect of the storied 1985 Bears, Ditka returned to the sidelines in 1997. After two 6-10 seasons, the brash chief got down to purchase Texas Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams — by any means needed. After the Bengals turned down an incomprehensible supply (the Saints’ 1999 draft plus first-rounders in 2000 and ’01 and an ’02 second), Washington took New Orleans’ ’99 draft picks plus first- and third-rounders in 2000 to maneuver down. Ditka coached Williams for one season; the Saints fired Ditka after his 3-13 exhibiting in 1999 and recovered to make the playoffs in 2000.

Campbell labored properly as a defensive coordinator, simply not as a head coach. The “Swamp Fox” acquired three probabilities; his worst go-round got here in a second Falcons stint — from 1987-89. Falcons proprietor Rankin Smith, who had Campbell in place as head coach from 1974-76, tried to go elsewhere together with his 1987 rent however pivoted again to his former lieutenant. Regardless of main back-to-back No. 1 Eagles defenses (earlier than failing as Philly’s head coach), Campbell went 11-32 in his third head-coaching attempt to drop his lifetime win proportion to .300. Campbell’s firing additionally, sadly, meant the tip of the Falcons’ pink jerseys. 

Tom Brady has provided up a 3rd blip of Buccaneers relevance, as a result of for essentially the most half, the franchise has inched into the highlight for the mistaken causes. Invoice Parcells’ Giants predecessor, Perkins resurfaced in Tampa in 1987. One in all his first acts as Bucs head coach: buying and selling Steve Younger. It went downhill from there. Perkins went 19-41 with the Bucs, dropping at the very least 11 video games in every of his three full seasons earlier than being fired late within the 1990 slate. Younger alternative Vinny Testaverde didn’t blossom in Tampa, and whereas Perkins’ drafts went higher than the franchise’s earlier tries, 60 video games is a quite massive work pattern.

Amongst coaches given at the very least 50 video games, Bradley .226 win proportion ranks because the third-worst all-time mark. The primary of the Pete Carroll-era Seahawks defensive coordinators to earn a head-coaching gig, Bradley didn’t obtain an excellent attract Jacksonville. Blake Bortles largely sunk that ship, with 2014’s No. 3 general choose not panning out. Bradley’s defensive experience, nonetheless, couldn’t assist the Jaguars a lot. They completed outdoors the highest 20 in three of his 4 years, although they have been turning a nook — one they rounded with 2017’s “Sacksonville” unit that almost powered the crew to Tremendous Bowl LII.

If the present Giants don’t characterize the franchise’s low level, it got here within the mid-Seventies. The architect of the Dolphin dynasty’s “No-Title Protection,” Arnsparger couldn’t come near resurrecting the Giants. He went 7-28 as New York’s head coach, and Corridor of Fame defender-turned-GM Andy Robustelli fired him after an 0-7 begin to the 1976 season. Craig Morton managed to quarterback the Cowboys and Broncos to Tremendous Bowls within the ’70s; the commerce acquisition floundered within the Huge Apple. The Giants additionally gave up a No. 2 general choose (Corridor of Famer Randy White) for Morton. 

The Dolphins made Cameron a one-and-done in 2007, and it got here throughout an unsteady interval. Nick Saban deserted the Dolphins for Alabama after two years — a interval that featured Miami botching Drew Brees’ free company, resulting in a Daunte Culpepper signing — and Cameron helmed a horrible quarterback state of affairs. After Trent Inexperienced suffered a daunting concussion for a second straight season, Cleo Lemon and John Beck made 11 mixed begins. A profitable offensive coordinator who loved prolonged stays in San Diego and Baltimore, Cameron wanted an time beyond regulation walk-off in December to keep away from 0-16. 

The Chiefs have rescued Spagnuolo’s repute, which took a serious hit between his 2008 Giants exit and 2019 Kansas Metropolis arrival. The Rams employed Spagnuolo in 2009, after his defenses clinched a Tremendous Bowl title and NFC’s No. 1 seed in back-to-back years The outcome: three full seasons, together with 1-15 and 2-14 marks. Spagnuolo went 10-38 with the Rams, who noticed Josh McDaniels’ post-Denver touchdown in 2011 finish with a Thirty second-ranked offense. Whereas Sam Bradford received Offensive Rookie of the Yr honors in 2010, little else went proper for the Spagnuolo-guided Rams within the coronary heart of a 12-season playoff drought.

File-wise, McDaniels doesn’t fairly belong right here. Nonetheless, the Broncos shortly rued the day they gave Mike Shanahan’s 32-year-old successor personnel management. McDaniels made the panned Jay Cutler commerce inside months of taking on, proved in over his head as a pacesetter and in 2010 traded three draft selections to pick out Tim Tebow in Spherical 1. After the 2009 Broncos began 6-0, McDaniels completed 5-17. A videotaping scandal — three years after he’d labored below Invoice Belichick throughout Spygate — did within the sharp play-caller. McDaniels spurning a Colts settlement eight years later solely additional bolstered his divisive standing.

Previous to Mornhinweg’s 2001 Detroit arrival, the Lions went 9-7 and had made the playoffs six instances within the earlier 10 years. Mornhinweg began 0-12 in a season that featured a seven-INT sport from QB Stoney Case, the first-year head coach deferring an OT coin toss (again when the NFL featured a real sudden-death format) in a loss in Chicago, and a quick Johnnie Morton-Jay Leno feud. The Lions drafted Joey Harrington a yr later, however after a 3-13 season introduced Mornhinweg’s file to 5-27, he was not deemed worthy to groom the ex-Oregon star. The Matt Millen period didn’t precisely enhance from right here, nonetheless.

The ultimate full-time coach in Baltimore Colts historical past, Kush’s profession included unlucky chapters. His first season, 1982, is certainly one of 4 winless campaigns (0-8-1) in post-merger NFL historical past. Then, the Elways wished no a part of him, with the quarterback prodigy and father Jack Elway utilizing Kush because the centerpiece to keep away from the Colts. That commerce — which triggered dissent and upheaval in Baltimore’s entrance workplace — had the Colts with out a dependable QB for 15 years. And after beginning the 1984 season 4-11, Kush resigned from his publish to just accept a job with the USFL’s Arizona Outlaws. They have been out of enterprise by 1986.

Jackson can’t keep away from a spot in head teaching ignominy; he went 3-36-1 with the Browns. That stated, he agreed to teach a crew making an attempt a radical rebuild — one which stripped the roster of expertise in 2016. Jackson often clashed with entrance workplace boss Sashi Brown and was caught beginning DeShone Kizer for almost a full season in 2017 — which ended within the NFL’s second 0-16 slate. When the perpetually overmatched Browns possession employed skilled soccer execs, Jackson was on his manner out. John Dorsey fired him halfway by means of an eventful 2018, after the perfect “Arduous Knocks” in years and clashes with OC Todd Haley and Baker Mayfield.

Shell’s time as a participant in Oakland led to Corridor of Fame enshrinement; he then turned the NFL’s first Black head coach and led the Los Angeles Raiders to a 56-41 mark from 1989-94. This rating is for Shell’s second go-round on the Raiders sideline. After a six-year teaching hiatus, Shell was not Al Davis’ first alternative in 2006; he shortly proved the trendy sport was not for him. Shell introduced again his former offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh, who was operating a mattress and breakfast in Idaho. Oakland ranked third defensively however nonetheless went 2-14, receiving a paltry 553 yards from a sulking Randy Moss. Davis then fired Shell for a second time.

Twice named the NFC Coach of the Yr throughout his time with the Falcons, Bennett didn’t catch the Buccaneers at a very good level. This was not the low level for the Bucs; that clearly got here when the franchise opened 2-26. However below Bennett, the franchise hit backside once more by going 4-28 from 1985-86. The Bucs botched a number of draft selections below Bennett. None extra so than 1986 No. 1 general choose Bo Jackson, who grew to detest proprietor Hugh Culverhouse and opted for the Royals’ farm system as an alternative. Steve Younger’s two Tampa years got here below Bennett, however the franchise was a decade away from a real revival. 

Thirty-one years earlier than Bobby Petrino, a extra well-known school coach determined the NFL was not for him. Then the N.C. State coach, Holtz signed a five-year contract to teach the Jets. The 39-year-old coach tried college-style gimmicks like composing a combat tune and making an attempt to line up gamers by peak earlier than video games. He lasted simply 13 video games, going 3-10 and bolting New York for an Arkansas supply in December 1976. After a number of accidents, Joe Namath was on his final legs; he averaged 99 passing yards per sport in his ultimate Jets season. Holtz later admitted he was unfamiliar with the professional sport upon taking the Jets job.

Peterson’s efforts at Florida State and Rice positioned him in nice demand by 1972, and the Oilers outmaneuvered the Broncos with a monster supply. The Oilers gave Peterson an “virtually lifetime” contract — a 10-year deal value $75,000 per — with proprietor Bud Adams proclaiming the offensive innovator can be with Houston till retirement. As a substitute, Peterson flopped within the professionals and went 1-18 from 1971-72. The Oilers had Dan Pastorini and Corridor of Fame defenders Ken Houston and Elvin Bethea however have been nowhere near contending. They went 1-13 in back-to-back seasons.

This tenure has come up quite a lot of instances this season, given the Adam Gase operation cratering. The Jets employed Kotite in 1995 after he spent 4 seasons in Philadelphia, they usually gave him personnel management. That didn’t work out. A local New Yorker, Kotite went 4-28 as Jets HC. He handed on Warren Sapp for tight finish Kyle Brady regardless of indicating a passion for the longer term Corridor of Fame D-tackle. The Jets’ resolution to throw huge cash at ex-Steelers QB Neil O’Donnell backfired as properly. Kotite’s Jets keep appears to be like worse contemplating the franchise fired Pete Carroll after one season and went 9-7 with Invoice Parcells in 1997.

Mike Brown has a historical past of hiring younger coaches. Zac Taylor has not began off robust, however the bar is low due to the Bengals proprietor’s 1992 rent. After spending one season as Cincinnati’s broad receivers coach, the then-32-year-old Shula turned the crew’s head coach. Regardless of his bloodlines, Shula started the Bengals’ descent by going 19-52 from 1992-96. David misplaced each instances to Don Shula’s Dolphins, couldn’t flip first-round QB David Klingler right into a viable starter — although backup plan Jeff Blake loved a prolonged profession — and was given a stunningly very long time to show he was not reduce out for the job. Shula didn’t coach once more within the NFL.

Marinelli’s exit marked the tip of Matt Millen’s disastrous run as Lions GM — a stretch that dragged the Lions into the NFL’s basement after the crew was a Nineteen Nineties playoff bastion. Marinelli took over in 2006 and went 3-13. After a forgotten 7-9 exhibiting in 2007, one of many extra memorable seasons in NFL historical past commenced. By the tip of the ’08 slate — the NFL’s first 0-16 outcome — the Lions had not one of the three top-10 wideouts they drafted below Millen on their crew, and Marinelli’s protection allowed an NFL-worst 517 factors. Marinelli bounced again by assembling profitable defenses in Chicago and Dallas throughout the 2010s.

On Dec. 10, 2007, Michael Vick was sentenced to jail time on dogfighting costs. On Dec. 11, 2007, the Falcons’ first-year coach abruptly left the crew. Making this stranger than Holtz’s Jets departure: Petrino informed Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean he was staying a day earlier than he resigned — a la Holtz — to just accept an Arkansas supply. Clean gave Petrino a five-year, $24 million deal to go away Louisville for Atlanta and coach Vick. The southpaw famous person’s authorized troubles foiled that plan, and Petrino used three QBs — most notably Joey Harrington — that season. The Falcons drafted future MVP Matt Ryan months later.

Meyer’s headline spree outflanks Petrino’s early exit. Given full autonomy in Jacksonville and the perfect QB prospect since Andrew Luck, Meyer spoiled robust job safety shortly with a various run of controversies. All roads led to the nationwide championship-winning coach’s unhealthy NFL match. (This was not arduous to foretell.) The Jags went 2-11 below Meyer, being outscored by 160 factors, and have seen Trevor Lawrence regress. The October plane-trip/bar fiasco, berating of assistant coaches, and fixed lack of knowledge relating to NFL gamers give Meyer distinctive {qualifications} in bad-coach hierarchies and add one other black mark on Shad Khan’s perennially shaky possession judgment.

For one-and-dones, that is as unhealthy because it will get. The 1990 Patriots received their second sport to maneuver to 1-1, then promptly misplaced their ultimate 14 — 11 of these by double digits. New England’s minus-265 level differential ranks because the third-worst in NFL historical past. Rust loved a profitable run as Patriots defensive coordinator, serving to their 1985 crew to Tremendous Bowl XX. Their growing old 1990 crew ranked final on offense and twenty seventh defensively. The crew and three of its gamers additionally acquired NFL punishment for the Lisa Olson sexual harassment scandal. Returning to the assistant ranks, Rust remained an NFL coach till 2004.