Black Monday: NFL Coaches on Chopping Block

It’s Black Monday,  the day dreaded by coaches of underachieving teams across the NFL, and a few new coaching casualties have joined the ranks of those looking for new gigs next season.

Here are some notable moves:

Tom Coughlin Resigns:

It was a challenging year for the Giant’s head coach that started with their best pass rusher injuring his hand in an off-season fireworks accident, saw them jump out to a division lead despite losing a number of close games, only to swoon spectacularly towards the end, the lowlight of which was star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s meltdown verses Carolina. The bottom line was the Giants simply couldn’t close out games, where winning just a few may have given them the NFC East Crown. Coughlin stepped down before he could have been fired, ending a twelve year run that saw him win two Super Bowls. Among the coaches let go, Coughlin is perhaps the most likely to find a coaching job elsewhere, should he so desire.

Jim Tomasula Gets The Ax:

Given the sheer amount of turmoil the 49ers experienced last off-season and the incredibly tough division they play in, this one seems almost a little unfair. Four starters retired, the head coach left/was fired, as did the defensive coordinator that oversaw a perennial Top 5 defense. Still, even that ominous off-season couldn’t have foreshadowed the numerous running back injuries, a prized free agent wide receiver in Torrey Smith that was invisible for most of the season, and a franchise quarterback in Colin Kaepernick who severely regressed/may have been injured most of the season. Among the coaches available at the time of his hiring, Tomasula hardly seemed the favorite to be the head coach, and the ugly 5-11 record San Francisco sported this season backs up the head-scratching that occurred then. More than likely, Tomasula will get his chance as a coordinator or line coach somewhere else.

 

Mike Pettine and the Cleveland Curse:

In the last ten years, the Cleveland Browns have had five different Head Coaches, and will be selecting their sixth this off-season after a disappointing 3-13 season. The Browns showed some brief glimpses of good play, with enigmatic quarterback Johnny Manziel showing some flashes playing along with receiver Travis  Benjamin, while tight end Gary Barnidge enjoyed a breakout season. Other than that, it was yet another season to forget for Browns’ fans. The next coach will inherit a flawed roster in need of some serious talent infusion as they seek to right the listing ship that is the Browns. Pettine might not be on the short list for vacant head coaching jobs, but he could fill some coordinator spots that will soon be empty.

Chip Clipped: Eagles Fire Kelly:

Perhaps the most surprising firing was the Eagles’ Chip Kelly, who in addition to his head coaching duties made personnel decisions, meaning Philadelphia effectively fired both their coach and de facto GM.  Some strange off-season moves coupled with an inability to effectively utilize the substantial talent on the roster caused the Eagles to fired Kelly before week 17; the Eagles responded with a 35-30 victory over the New York Giants, giving hope to Philly fans that a quick turnaround can be made. Chip Kelly, despite this season’s lack of success, will probably be a candidate for a number of different head coaching jobs.