What NFL Coaches Were Fired This Season?
A list of all the NFL coaches who were fired this season, including when they were let go and who took over for them.
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NFL Coaches Fired This Season
This season, a total of five NFL head coaches were fired during or after the regular season. They are Adam Gase of the New York Jets, Bill O’Brien of the Houston Texans, Anthony Lynn of the Los Angeles Chargers, Doug Marrone of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions.
Hue Jackson- Cleveland Browns
Hue Jackson was relieved of his head coaching duties by the Cleveland Browns on October 29, 2018, after compiling a 3–36–1 record in two-and-a-half seasons with the team. Jackson had previously served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, where he had a 8–8 record in one season.
Dirk Koetter- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On December 30, 2018, Dirk Koetter was fired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after three seasons with the team. Koetter had a record of 19 wins and 29 losses with the Buccaneers.
Todd Bowles- New York Jets
Todd Bowles was fired on December 30, 2018, after four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets. Bowles led the Jets to a 10-6 record in his first season, but the team declined each year after that and finished this season with a 4-12 record.
Vance Joseph- Denver Broncos
Vance Joseph was fired by the Denver Broncos on December 31, 2018, after two seasons as head coach. Joseph had a record of 11-21 with the Broncos, including a 6-10 record in 2018.
During his tenure as head coach, Joseph was widely criticized for his handling of the quarterback position, as he alternated between starters Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch. He was also criticized for his decision to fire offensive coordinator Mike McCoy mid-season and replace him with Bill Musgrave.
Broncos general manager John Elway announced that Joseph would be replaced by Vic Fangio, the former defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears.
Why Were They Fired?
So far this season, eight NFL coaches have been fired. That’s the most since 2010, when NFL teams also turned over their coaching staffs at a record pace. Why are so many NFL coaches being fired? Let’s take a look at the reasons.
Hue Jackson- Cleveland Browns
Jackson was fired by the Browns on October 29, 2018, after starting the season 2-5-1. Jackson was in his third season as head coach of the Browns. Prior to his firing, Jackson had a record of 3-36-1 with the Browns.
Dirk Koetter- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dirk Koetter was fired as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 30, 2018, after three seasons with the team. Koetter was originally hired as the offensive coordinator in 2015 and became the head coach in 2016.
Under Koetter, the Buccaneers had a 19-29 record and failed to make the playoffs. In 2018, the team finished 5-11 and last in the NFC South.
Koetter was not the only NFL head coach to be fired this season. Other coaches who were let go include Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos, Adam Gase of the Miami Dolphins, Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns, Todd Bowles of the New York Jets, Steve Wilks of the Arizona Cardinals, Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins, and Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Todd Bowles- New York Jets
Todd Bowles was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the New York Jets on December 30, 2018, after compiling a record of 24–40 over four seasons. Jets CEO Christopher Johnson announced that offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates would serve as the interim head coach for the final game of the season.
The Jets had a 4–12 record in 2018 and finished last in the AFC East division. This marked the second consecutive season that the Jets failed to make the playoffs under Bowles. He finishes his tenure with the Jets with a record of 24–40.
Vance Joseph- Denver Broncos
The Broncos went 6-10 in Joseph’s first season and slumped to a 5-11 record this year, leading to his firing on Monday.
Joseph was hired by the Broncos in 2017 after Gary Kubiak retired following a playoff appearance. He was tasked with rebuilding Denver’s offense after it finished 27th in the NFL in scoring last season.
While the Broncos did improve to 22nd in scoring this season, they regressed in other areas. They turned the ball over a league-high 34 times and allowed a franchise-record 52 sacks.
What’s Next for These Coaches?
So far this NFL season, six head coaches have been relieved of their duties. They are Adam Gase of the New York Jets, Bill O’Brien of the Houston Texans, Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions, Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings, Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers, and Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals. All six coaches had losing records this season. What’s next for these coaches?
Hue Jackson- Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Hue Jackson after a 2-5 start to their 2018 season. Jackson had been with the Browns since 2016, and he led the team to a 1-15 record in his first year and an 0-16 record in his second year. This year, the Browns had made some changes to their roster and were expected to be more competitive, but they got off to a slow start and Jackson was unable to turn things around.
Jackson was not the only head coach to be fired this season; other coaches who have been let go include Todd Bowles of the New York Jets, Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos, Steve Wilks of the Arizona Cardinals, and Dirk Koetter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It remains to be seen who will be hired to fill these vacant positions, but there are sure to be some interesting storylines in the NFL next season.
Dirk Koetter- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dirk Koetter was let go by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after six seasons with the team. He compiling a record of just 19-29 over the last three years, including a forgettable 5-11 mark in 2019. The Bucs started the season with high hopes, but quarterback Jameis Winston threw 30 interceptions and Tampa Bay struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. Given his track record, it’s unlikely that another NFL team will give Koetter a shot to be a head coach anytime soon.
Todd Bowles- New York Jets
Todd Bowles was fired from his position as head coach of the New York Jets after four seasons on December 30, 2018. Bowles had a record of 24-40 during his time with the Jets, including a 10-6 record in 2015 that saw the team just miss out on the playoffs.
Since being fired, Bowles has been linked with several head coaching vacancies, including the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns. It is unclear if he will be hired for either of those positions, but it seems likely that he will land another head coaching job somewhere in the NFL in the near future.
Vance Joseph- Denver Broncos
Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos walks on the field before the start of the game against the Oakland Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on September 16, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 20-19. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Joseph was fired by the Broncos on Monday after back-to-back losing seasons. In two years with Denver, Joseph went 11-21, including a 6-10 mark this season that left the Broncos out of the playoffs for the second straight year.
