3 NFL teams that regretted firing their head coach
NFL head coaches have an extremely difficult job with not much security and a ton of criticism. When things are going well for the team, the head coach rarely gets enough credit, but when things go wrong, they often receive the bulk of the blame.
Being an NFL head coach can be a thankless job that requires constant success for any type of job security. They are often fired at any sign of adversity, but sometimes that ends up being the wrong decision for the franchise. Here are three NFL head coaches who were fired, but their team probably wishes they hadn't made that decision.
#1 - Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys
When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, one of the first things he did was fire Tom Landry, the only head coach since the franchise was founded in 1960. Jones immediately hired Jimmy Johnson to take over as head coach and will also be in charge of player personnel decisions.
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones got emotional when talking about Jimmy Johnson and how his tenure with the team ended in the 90s. “I’ve never been able to know why
I f***** it up."
Johnson will be inducted into the HOF in August.
https://t.co/uoq9K8mRO5
Johnson is largely credited with building the Cowboys dynasty that won three Super Bowls in the 1990s decade, however Johnson was only there for two of them. Jones and Johnson clashed on many things, which led to their mutual split after two rings. The Cowboys won once more with the team Johnson built, but haven't been back to another one since.
#2 - Pete Carroll, New York Jets
Pete Carroll was hired to be the head coach of the New York Jets prior to the start of the 1994 NFL season. He went 6-10 in his first year on the job and was immediately fired. He was replaced by Rich Kotite, who won just four games over the next two seasons combined.
December 20, 1992: Jets assistant Pete Carroll gives a choke sign when Dolphins’ Pete Stoyonovich misses an xtra pt w/ just over 2:00 left in the 4th that would have tied the game.
Stoyonovich would go on to kick the game-winner in the closing secs to give Miami a 19-17 win. https://t.co/uEMkGNDgC9
While Kotite was a disaster, Carroll eventually went on to appear in two Super Bowls and win one with the Seahawks, while the Jets haven't been to one in 50 years. The Jets have struggled to find stability at head coach, while Carroll is capable of providing it.
#3 - Mike Shanahan, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders hired Mike Shanahan prior to the start of the 1988 NFL season. He went 7-9 in his first season and 1-3 to start the 1989 NFL season before being fired by the Raiders' late owner Al Davis.
Despite posting a respectable 8-12 record across 20 NFL games, Shanahan and Davis reportedly disagreed on many things relating to how the team should be run, leading to the break up. Shanahan went on to win two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos and the Raiders haven't won one since he was fired.