Joe Philbin Likely Out in Miami? He Joins a Long List of NFL Coaches Who Could Be Fired on Black Monday
By Jason Lisk
Joe Philbin is likely out in Miami after the team has lost the last two games to basically fall out of the playoff race (mathematically, they have convoluted possibilities if they can get to 9-7). So writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, and he also writes about the men behind the scenes talking to Stephen Ross. That would be special advisor Dan Marino, and former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum.
Will Philbin be gone? He survived the ugliness of last year’s locker room debacle with Johnathan Martin and Richie Incognito. We also know that Michigan alum Stephen Ross was heavily involved in pursuing Jim Harbaugh when he first came to the NFL and settled on San Francisco instead. Who are the other coaches that have reason to wonder if they will be around in 2015? Well, Harbaugh is on the top of that list, and may lead to plenty of movement this offseason. Black Monday (mark your calendars for December 29th) could be a dark day in the NFL coaching ranks.
Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers
I don’t know if you could buy odds that Harbaugh returns to the 49ers in 2015 at this point. The team is now officially eliminated from the postseason, and the smoke has been building for months. He even had a friendly chat with Pete Carroll to reminisce about their rivalry. If that is not a sign that the end is nigh, I don’t know what is.
Harbaugh has a year remaining and would have to be traded within the NFL, so you might not see movement right away. Then again, Harbaugh can leave for Michigan without any such wrangling, and can hold that over the 49ers management if they play hard ball.
Tony Sparano, Oakland Raiders
Dennis Allen was already fired, and Sparano hasn’t done enough to put pressure on the team to retain him. He’ll be getting a call early Monday morning, and the Raiders have been tied to Harbaugh rumors for a while. (Though Charles Woodson would just rather he go to Michigan).
Rex Ryan, New York Jets
Rex keeps coaching up the team, enough to get a win against Tennessee that moves them behind four other teams for the #1 pick. After last season, when the Jets won a bunch of close games to mask a pretty bad roster, things have just continued to devolve. It’s almost certain he is gone once the ink is dry on printing the season’s final record.
Marc Trestman, Chicago Bears
Things have gone poorly in Chicago this year. The defense continues to be a massive heap of burning rubble (32nd in points allowed before this week’s games). The offense has regressed, and Jay Cutler has been at the center of much criticism, including from the offensive coordinator. It’s been a disappointment, and whatever momentum that was built by introducing offense to the city of Chicago in 2013 has gone away.
Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins
Will Gruden be a one-and-done in D.C.? It’s not out of the question at all. He has moved away from the massive franchise investment in Robert Griffin III in quick fashion, and has likely put Daniel Snyder in a spot where he must choose between trading Griffin or replacing Gruden, just a year after he replaced the Shanahans.
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants
The Giants have won two straight to get to 5-9. Those wins were over Tennessee and Washington, after losing to Jacksonville. It is the third straight year that the Giants have missed the playoffs, generally getting worse each year. Coughlin’s been in New York for eleven seasons, and is going into the final year of his contract. I don’t see how the Giants extend him at this point.
Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Mike Smith could make the playoffs by winning the NFC South with wins in the final two games. Mike Smith could also be fired for finishing worse than 7-9. Smith has seven years in Atlanta but doesn’t have Coughlin’s postseason caché. 9-21 over the last two years shows a team in decline, most glaringly on defense. He’s made some clock management gaffes that have cost the Falcons the chance to have a lead in the division. It feels like time has run its course here, unless Blank is swayed by the mere fact of a playoff appearance in a bad division.
Ken Whisenhunt, Tennessee Titans
Whisenhunt has had success when he had Kurt Warner at QB, or when he got to work with Phillip Rivers as offensive coordinator. Not so much, though, besides that. His teams have scored 16 points a game in his last year at Arizona and this year in Tennessee. After an opening upset in Kansas City, Tennessee has been in the running for worst team in the league.
Most coaches get more than one year, but this has been a disaster.
Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars
Bradley is probably safe, but I think he merits being on this list. Jacksonville hasn’t shown much sign of improvement over the last two years, other than a brief December surge. He is 6-24. The Jaguars have been, by virtually any measurement, one of the two or three worst teams each year.
Bradley’s Jaguars have been at least 10 points worse than the league average both years. Very few coaches have debuted as poorly. Only five other coaches have presided over teams as awful as Jacksonville for each of their first two years: Tom Landry (Dallas ’60-’61), Norb Hecker (Atlanta ’65-’66), John McKay (’76-’77), Rich Kotite (’95-’96), and Chris Palmer (Cleveland ’99-’00). Four of those five were working for expansion teams, with Kotite the only other one to be so bad with a non-expansion situation.
Yes, Jacksonville is very young. You have to wonder if they are going to be patient with Bradley, or figure someone else needs to lead the resurgence.