How Many NFL Coaches Were Fired This Season?
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This season has seen a lot of NFL coaches get the axe. How many were fired and who are they?
NFL Coaches Fired This Season
Six NFL coaches were fired this season, the most since 2010. They are: Rex Ryan of the Buffalo Bills, Gus Bradley of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Adam Gase of the Miami Dolphins, Mike Mularkey of the Tennessee Titans, Doug Marrone of the Buffalo Bills, and Chuck Pagano of the Indianapolis Colts.
Why were they fired?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, the highest professional level of American football in the world, the wealthiest professional sport league by revenue, and the sport league with the most valuable teams.
The NFL’s 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in February and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.
In total, nine NFL head coaches were fired this season. Most notably, Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns was fired after going 3-36-1 in his two-and-a-half seasons with the team. Other notable firings include Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos and Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is a full list of NFL head coaches who were fired this season:
Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns)
Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos)
Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Todd Bowles (New York Jets)
Steve Wilks (Arizona Cardinals)
Adam Gase (Miami Dolphins)
Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals)
Mike McCarthy (Green Bay Packers)
Who replaced them?
This season, a total of eight NFL coaches were fired. They are:
-Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
– Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals
– Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos
– Steve Wilks, Arizona Cardinals
– Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
– Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
– Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
– Todd Bowles, New York Jets
Each team will now be led by a new head coach. For the Packers, Matt LaFleur will be taking over. He was previously the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. The Bengals will be lead by Zac Taylor after he spent this past season as the Los Angeles Rams’ quarterbacks coach. Similarly, Kliff Kingsbury comes to the Cardinals from USC where he was their offensive coordinator. Brian Flores will be the new head coach for the Miami Dolphins after serving as the New England Patriots’ defensive play caller and de facto defensive coordinator this past season. Bruce Arians returns to coaching with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after one year of retirement and he brings Byron Leftwich with him as his offensive coordinator. Freddie Kitchens takes over as head coach for the Cleveland Browns after serving as their offensive coordinator for half of this past season. Lastly, Adam Gase was hired by the New York Jets after being fired by the Dolphins earlier in the year.
How did their teams do?
The 2019 NFL regular season has come to an end, and with it, the fates of several head coaches have been decided. A few coaches were fired even before the season ended, while others were given a few more weeks to turn things around. Here’s a look at all the NFL head coaches who were fired this season, including how their teams fared during their time in charge.
-Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals: Lewis was let go after 16 seasons with the Bengals, the second-longest tenure of any head coach in team history. The Bengals finished this season with a 6-10 record, missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
-Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins: Gase was fired after just two seasons with the Dolphins, who went 7-9 this year and missed the playoffs.
-Pat Shurmur, New York Giants: Shurmur was ousted after two seasons as head coach of the Giants, who finished 4-12 this year and failed to make the playoffs.
-Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns: Kitchens was let go after just one season as head coach of the Browns, who finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs.
-Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins: Gruden was fired after six seasons as head coach of the Redskins, who went 3-13 this year and failed to make the playoffs.
Reactions to the Coaches’ Firings
Players
The players were not happy about the firings.
“It sucks,” said Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham. “You never want to see anybody get fired, especially guys that put in a lot of hard work.”
“I’m kind of at a loss for words,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “I’m just trying to process it all and figure out how we can be better.”
“It was definitely surprising,” Vikings safety Harrison Smith said. “Those are two guys I have a ton of respect for.”
Fans
How do fans react when their team’s coach is fired?
The reaction from fans when their team’s coach is fired can be mixed. Some fans may be relieved that a change has been made, while others may be sad to see the coach go. Some fans may also be angry, feeling that the coach was unfairly treated. Ultimately, each fan will react differently to the news.
Analysts
Many analysts believe that the number of NFL coaches fired this season was too high. They point to the fact that several of the teams that fired their coaches had talented rosters and should have been able to contend for a playoff spot. They also believe that the trend of firing coaches after just one or two seasons is detrimental to team stability and leads to a lot of turnover in the coaching ranks.
