NFL Head Coaches Fired: 25% of the League – Lose Their Jobs. Why?

Following Bill Belichick‘s departure, the NFL lost 8 of its 32 head coaches this season, even before it ended. This means 25% of the teams are without a coach at the moment. While many are still within their contracts and earning actively, why is this unexpected statistic noticeable?

Most of the NFL franchises are notorious for their impatience with head coaches. Adding to that, with often the wrong choice of candidates, only a few are lucky to lead their team for prolonged periods if things don’t work out quickly. Should the franchises learn from the Commanders?

NFL 2023 season: Head coaches in jeopardy

Recently, NFL Insider, Ari Meirov took to X to shed the poor reality of Head Coaches in the 2023 NFL season. He captioned the post, “Eight head coaches – 25% of the league – have been let go so far:” along with a collage of the coaches let go so far.

The first name on the list to bite the dust was ex-Raiders’ coach Josh McDaniels who was fired on Halloween night. Then the decision came down on Panthers‘ Frank Reich, who had to exit on November 27 following a 1-10 start. Quickly afterward, the Chargers had enough of Brandon Staley after the December 15 loss to the Raiders.

But a series of departures bombarded the league following week 18’s conclusion. Commanders’ Ron Rivera, Titans’ Mike Vrabel, and Falcons’ Arthur Smith all were fired one after one, after failing to clinch the playoffs. While the league’s oldest coach, Seahawks‘ Pete Carroll wasn’t fired, he decided to step down from the role after 14 years and one Super Bowl.

Watch This Story: Post Bob Meyers Hire, Commanders Eye a New Director of Football Prior to HC

However, there was still room left for the biggest story of all: Patriots highly anticipated future with Bill Belichick. And the news came on Thursday, ending all the waiting. But why are the franchises reluctant to keep their head coaches?

Navigating NFL coaching changes: Assessing firings, untimely departures, and solutions

Seattle Seahawks: Following a 9-8 season and missing the playoffs for the second time in three years, the Seahawks announced the departure of head coach Pete Carroll. Despite a 25-26 record in that span, Carroll, the franchise’s most successful coach, expressed a desire to continue coaching at 72. While ostensibly transitioning to an advisory role, he hinted at being open to another head-coaching opportunity if the right one came along.

Tennessee Titans: After guiding Tennessee to four consecutive winning seasons since his arrival in 2018, Mike Vrabel faced challenges with the Titans in back-to-back disappointing seasons. The team finished with a 6-11 record in the latest campaign, marking a departure from their previous success.

Washington Commanders: Owner Josh Harris, who acquired the franchise last summer, made a significant staffing decision by parting ways with coach Ron Rivera after four seasons. The move comes on the heels of the team’s 4-13 record in the 2023 season, culminating in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the season finale.

New England Patriots: Post their Week 18 loss to the Jets, owner Robert Kraft and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways. Belichick’s record of 29-38 in four seasons post-Tom Brady, with just one playoff berth and no postseason wins, prompted the decision. The Patriots just concluded a 4-13 season, which was the worst record in Belichick’s tenure.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons terminated coach Smith following a season-ending 48-17 defeat to the Saints, marking their sixth consecutive playoff miss. With four losses in the last five games, the Falcons settled for third place in the NFC South. Smith’s three-season tenure saw consistent 7-10 finishes, plagued by quarterback uncertainties between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, resulting in a lack of success.

Los Angeles Chargers: Following two and a half seasons of high expectations and repeated disappointments, the Chargers parted ways with Staley and Telesco post a disastrous 63-21 defeat by the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

Carolina Panthers: Owner David Tepper swiftly dismissed Reich less than 24 hours after a frustrating 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 12.

Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders let go of McDaniels a day after a 26-14 loss to Detroit on ‘Monday Night Football’. This marked their second consecutive defeat where the team’s offense struggled, leading to a 3-5 record.

The untimely firings affect the teams’ salary caps. Given the NFL coaching contracts are fully guaranteed, the team will have to keep paying the HC even when he is not associated with them, or even working for another franchise. For example, the Raiders owe a combined sum of anywhere between $40-80 million to their last two head coaches – McDaniels and Jon Gruden, despite the latter working for the Saints.

Solution? The franchises can start following the Commanders’ method. Owner Josh Harris has hired two experienced basketball and football executives to help him with hiring the next president and head coach. It’s not a guaranteed success, but at least the owners can avoid a rush of decision-making. Given the efforts put into the process, they might just become a bit more patient with their head coaches as well. It will not only be helpful for the owners but also for the teams, the players, and the sport.

Read More: End of an Era: Bill Belichick and New England Patriots Expected To Part Ways Today