How many NFL coaches have been fired mid-season?
More than 500 head coaches have been a part of the NFL in its over 100 years of existence. Since the final official merger in 1970, 88 head coaches have been fired in the middle of an active season, and 34 of them have been fired since 2000.
The New Orleans Saints have fired a head coach during the season six times, the most in NFL history, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens have not done so in their franchise history.
5 notable NFL head coach firings
Here are some of the notable head coach firings in NFL history that occurred during the season.
#1 - Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars (2021)
Urban Meyer didn't survive his first season as a head coach in the NFL. He was fired prior to Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season after just 13 games in which he coached to a 2-11 record. Though the record was bad, it was much more about all of the off-field issues that piled up over his short time with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jaguars fire HC Urban Meyer. (via @rapsheet) https://t.co/7TvONPwkpg
Also read: Urban Meyer timeline: How embarrassing events and controversies led to Jaguars firing
The crazy thing about the whole Urban Meyer saga is that he lasted just 13 games, yet it still felt like it took forever for the Jags to fire him. A monumentally disastrous run.
Between hiring Chris Doyle, mismanaging the roster, viral videos of unfaithfulness and even attacking a player, it's been a messy couple of months for Urban Meyer and his NFL head coaching career. Owner Shad Khan had seen enough and fired at him after just 13 total games.