NFL logo
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader
Audio By Carbonatix
Most NFL teams are willing to give a new head coach some time to find their footing after taking the reins. However, there have been more than a few occasions where a franchise decided to go in a new direction by kicking a new hire to the curb after a single season at the helm.
All of these NFL coaches only lasted a single season with their team before being fired
You obviously have to know a thing or two about football in order to land a job as the coach of an NFL team, but you’re also signing up for an incredibly high-pressure job where there’s a line of candidates who would be more than happy to replace you if you fail to live up to expectations.
You’re usually not inheriting an ideal situation when you’re hired to be the new coach of an NFL team, and franchises tend to give those skippers at least a couple of seasons to attempt to get them heading in the right direction. However, there have been dozens of cases where their patience ran out after what ended up being their first and only campaign.
There are some who left after a single season (or less) of their own accord (including one-and-done Jets coach Al Groh, Atlanta-to-Arkansas defector Bobby Petrino, Lou Holtz, and Ed Hughes), but I’m only including the ones who departed involuntarily.
Jerod Mayo (Patriots, 2024)
Patriots coach Jerod Mayo
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Anyone who succeeded Bill Belichick as the coach of the Patriots was going to have some impossibly large shoes to fill, and Jerod Mayo was selected to replace the second-winningest coach in NFL history after his time in New England came to an end after 24 seasons.
Mayo had previously spent eight seasons with the Patriots as a linebacker but only lasted for a single one as their head coach, as the team reunited with Mike Vrabel after going 4-13.
Antonio Pierce (Raiders, 2024)
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Antonio Pierce earned the interim label after the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels midway through the season in 2023, and he earned the full-time gig after leading them to a 4-5 record that year.
He inherited a less-than-ideal quarterback situation after being forced to decide between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, but that was far from the only reason Las Vegas ended up at 4-13 while going winless against its opponents in the AFC West.
Pierce was subsequently shown the door, and Pete Carroll returned from a brief hiatus to take over heading into 2025.
Frank Reich (Panthers, 2023)
Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich
Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Frank Reich spent four full seasons with the Colts before being fired midway through his fifth one in 2022, and he got another chance with the Panthers the following year.
However, he did not even make it through a full season in Carolina, as he was fired after they got off to a 1-10 start to become the first NFL coach in history to be shown the door during an ongoing campaign in back-to-back years.
Nathaniel Hackett (Broncos, 2022)
former Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Broncos had high hopes heading into the season in 2022 after acquiring Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seahawks, and it seemed like Nathanial Hackett was going to have a weapon to work with at quarterback.
However, that did not end up being the case. Wilson turned into a shell of his former self in Denver, and Hackett was fired after the team got off to a 4-11 start en route to finishing at 5-12.
Lovie Smith (Texans, 2022)
Texans coach Lovie Smith
Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Lovie Smith posted an 81-63 record during the nine seasons he spent with the Bears between 2004 and 2012. He did not come close to living up to expectations when the Buccaneers hired him in 2014, as he went 2-14 during his first year in Tampa Bay and was fired after they “improved” to 6-10 the following season.
He headed to the college level to coach at Illinois before the Texans lured him back to the NFL in 2022. However, his return was very short-lived, as Houston went 3-13-1 during a season where he led them to a meaningless win over the Colts that cost them the first overall pick in the NFL Draft.
It didn’t really come back to bite them, as the Panthers used it to select Bryce Young before they scooped up C.J. Stroud. However, Smith didn’t get the chance to coach the QB, as he was fired immediately after they earned that pointless victory.
David Culley (Texans, 2021)
former Houston Texans head coach David Culley
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The Texans are the first team on this list (but not the last) that cut a coach loose after a single season two years in a row.
Lovie Smith got that treatment a year after David Culley, who had spent close to three decades as an assistant coach in the NFL before finally getting to lead a team only to be fired after they went 4-13.
Urban Meyer (Jaguars, 2021)
former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer
Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK
There are a number of coaches who excelled at the college level who had trouble transitioning to the NFL, and it’s hard to think of a more notable example than Urban Meyer.
The man who won two national championships at Florida and another at Ohio State was hired by the Panthers in 2021 to kick off what ended up being an unmitigated disaster.
His tenure was marred by a picture of him getting very cozy with a woman who wasn’t his wife at a bar, and Jacksonville was sitting at 2-11 when he was fired after kicker Josh Lambo publicly accused him of kicking him ahead of a preseason game.
Freddie Kitchens (Browns, 2019)
former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens
David Kohl-Imagn Images
The Browns had previously shown they had a pretty high tolerance for terribleness after Hue Jackson was allowed to stick around after going 1-31 during his first two seasons in Cleveland, but Freddie Kitchens wasn’t able to get the same treatment.
Jackson was fired midway through the season in 2018, and Kitchens was hired to take over after Gregg Williams led the team to a 5-3 record in the interim role. Their 6-10 showing was a marked improvement over Jackson’s tenure, but Cleveland nontheless opted to go in a new direction by hiring Kevin Stefanski—a move that turned out to be a wise one.
Steve Wilks (Cardinals, 2018)
former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Cardinals parted ways with Bruce Arians following the conclusion of the 2017 NFL season after missing the playoffs two years in a row, and they were hoping Steve Wilks would be able to get them back on track.
That did not end up being the case, as Arizona finished with the worst record in the league after going 3-13. They got a consolation prize by earning the right to draft Kyler Murray with the first overall pick, but Wilks was not around to coach him as a rookie after being fired in favor of Kliff Kingsbury.
Chip Kelly (49ers, 2016)
former San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly argues with referee
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
We’ve got another college coach who failed to live up to expectations after heading to the NFL courtesy of Chip Kelly, who replaced the man we’ll be discussing in a second in San Francisco in 2016.
Kelly had made a name for himself at Oregon while leading the Ducks to a 46-7 record and an appearance in the national championship game during the four years he spent in Eugene. He was initially hired by the Eagles in 2012, and he kicked off his tenure with back-to-back 10-6 seasons before being fired after they went 6-9 in 2014.
The 49ers were willing to give him a second chance, but he did not take advantage after they went 2-14. The team quickly decided to go in a new direction by turning to Kyle Shanahan—another pivot that panned out pretty well.
Jim Tomsula (49ers, 2015)
former San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
As I mentioned above, Kelly wasn’t the only coach who didn’t last very long with the 49ers in the mid-2010s.
Jim Tomulski had joined the team as their defensive line coach in 2007 before getting the chance to lead them in 2015 after the Jim Harbaugh Era came to an end, but he didn’t get another opporunity after they went 5-11.
Rob Chudzinski (Browns, 2013)
former Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY
The Browns earned a reputation for being a revolving door for quarterbacks after the franchise returned from a two-year hiatus in 1999, but prior to Stefanski’s arrival, they were also defined by an impressive amount of instability when it comes to head coaches.
Eric Mangini only lasted two years in Cleveland before he was replaced by Rob Chudzinski, but his tenure lasted twice as long as that of the man who was fired after the Browns went 4-12.
Mike Mularkey (Jaguars, 2012)
former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey
Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Both Tom Coughlin and Jack Del Rio had fairly lengthy stints with the Jaguars while serving as the first two coaches for a franchise that played its inaugural season in 1995.
Mike Mularkey was obviously hoping that trend would continue when he replaced that latter in 2012, but that did not end up being the case for a man who was swiftly dismissed after Jacksonville went 2-14.
Hue Jackson (Raiders, 2011)
Raiders coach Hue Jackson
Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Hue Jackson probably should have earned the right to be the only coach to make multiple appearances on this list based on how he fared in Cleveland, but the Raiders gave him the treatment the Browns would have been more than justified in doling out after going 8-8 and missing the playoffs despite getting off to a 7-4 start in 2011.
Jim Mora Jr. (Seahawks, 2009)
former Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora Jr.
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Jim Mora Jr. benefited from being the son of a man who spent 15 years as a head coach in the NFL between the Saints and the Colts. He followed in his father’s footsteps and got his first gig as a head coach in the league with the Falcons in 2004, going 26-22 during his three seasons in Atlanta.
He headed to Seattle to work as an assistant before getting a second chance after he was tapped to replace Mike Holmgren in 2009. His predecessor had posted a 4-12 record in his final season, but Seattle barely improved and fired Mora after ending up at 5-11 during his final stint as a head coach in the league.
Cam Cameron (Dolphins, 2007)
former Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Cam Cameron bounced between the NFL and the college level during his career, and the 18-37 record he posted as the head coach at Indiana between 1997 and 2001 didn’t exactly suggest he’d be the best man for the job in the pros.
That didn’t stop the Dolphins from hiring him in 2007 after parting ways with Nick Saban, another college coach who had some trouble adjusting to the NFL. However, Cameron made the man who went 15-17 in Miami look like Don Shula after the Dolphins went 1-15 under his watch.
Art Shell (Raiders, 2006)
former Oakland Raiders head coach Art Shell
Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images
The first Black coach in NFL history is technically Fritz Pollard, the running back who simultaneously oversaw the Hammond Pros in the 1920s at a time when the league was known as the “American Professional Football Association.”
However, he was also the last one until the Raiders hired Art Shell in 1989. Shell was a Hall of Fame offensive tackle who won three Super Bowls during the 15 seasons he spent with the Raiders as a player, and he posted a 54-38 record over the six seasons that comprised his first stint with the team.
They’d moved from Los Angeles to Oakland by the time he headed back for a second, but the reunion did not pan out as either side had envisioned and came to an end after the Raiders went 2-14.
Marty Schottenheimer (Washington, 2001)
former Washington Redskins head coach Marty Schottenheimer
Herb Weitman-Imagn Images
Marty Schottenheimer is best known for what he achieved during the decade he spent with the Chiefs after kicking off his lengthy career as an NFL head coach with the Browns.
He resigned from his role in Kansas City in 1999 while citing the psychological toll the job had taken on him before taking a job as an analyst with ESPN. However, he didn’t stay with The Worldwide Leader for very long, as his hiatus only lasted for a couple of seasons before he mounted a comeback in Washington.
They went 8-8 for the second year in a row, which was by no means atrocious but not good enough to prevent Dan Snyder from opting to turn to Steve Spurrier instead. Schottenheimer wasn’t out of work for long, as the Chargers nabbed him before he finished out his NFL coaching career with a five-year stint in San Diego.
Ray Rhodes (Packers, 1999)
former Green Bay Packers head coach Ray Rhodes
Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Packers had a good thing going with Mike Holmgren before the man who’d led them to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI decided to take his talents to Seattle in the wake of the 1998 NFL season.
Ray Rhodes was tasked with trying to fill the shoes of a coach who’d led Green Bay to the postseason six years in a row (a run that included back-to-back Super Bowl appearances), but they missed the postseason by going 8-8 during what ended up being his one and only season.
Joe Bugel (Raiders, 1997)
NFL coach Joe Bugel
RVR Photos-Imagn Images
This is the fourth (and final) time the Raiders are making an appearance, and it comes courtesy of Joe Bugel.
Bugel spent time in Houston and Washington before the Cardinals gave him his first head coaching gig in 1990 to kick off an uneventful tenure where he posted a 20-44 record and never sniffed the playoffs during his four years in Phoenix.
The Raiders nonetheless gave him another opportunity in 1997, but it ended after he went 4-12.
Pete Carroll (Jets, 1994)
former New York Jets head coach Pete Carroll
RVR Photos-Imagn Images
Pete Carroll has done pretty well for himself as a head coach, but it’s safe to say his career got off to an inauspicious start.
The Jets were the first team to offer one of the winningest football coaches in history the chance to lead a team when he replaced Bruce Coslet in 1994, but they dismissed him after he went 6-10. However, as you likely know, he bounced back pretty well from that initial setback.
Richie Petitbon (Washington, 1993)
Richie Petitbon
Getty Image / Rick Stewart/ALLSPORT
Richie Petitbon played quarterback at Tulane before becoming an accomplished safety who spent the bulk of his NFL playing career with the Bears.
He spent close to a decade serving as the defensive coordinator for Washington and was a key contributor to the three Super Bowls they won between the 1982 and 1991 seasons. However, the team did not exactly flourish when he was promoted to head coach in 1993 before going 4-12.
Rod Rust (Patriots, 1990)
Patriots coach Rod Rust
Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Rod Rust spent time as the defensive coordinator for the Patriots, Chiefs, and Steelers before heading back to New England in 1990 to serve as their head coach following the departure of Raymond Berry.
As was the case with Petitbon, his previous experience in one particular realm did not set him up for success, as the Patriots brought his ill-fated tenure to a merciful end after going 1-15.
Les Steckel (Vikings, 1984)
Vikings coach Les Steckel
Denver Post via Getty Images
Les Steckel was a former Marine who fought in Vietnam (a detail that will be relevant in a moment) before turning his attention to coaching.
He eventually joined the Vikings before he was hired as their head coach in 1984 following Bud Grant’s retirement. His military background served as the basis for a coaching philosophy that revolved around strict discipline and grueling workouts that were designed to push players to the point of exhaustion, which turned the locker room against him.
Steckel may have been able to justify his methods if they had produced results, but they did not. The Vikings went 3-13, and Minnesota lured Grant out of retirement to replace the man who’d replaced him.
Peter McCulley (49ers, 1978)
Getty Image / Bettman
There is not a single team that’s represented on this list more than the 49ers, and they earned that designation with the help of the historically tumultuous period the team endured at the end of the 1970s after Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. became the new owner of the franchise.
San Francisco was coached by four different men over the course of three seasons. The last member of that quartet was Fred O’Connor, who went 1-6 in an interim role after Pete McCulley was fired for getting off to a 1-8 start during a season where they went 2-14.
Ken Meyer (49ers, 1977)
Ken Meyer
Jerry Telfer/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
McCulley was hired after Ken Meyer was fired for going 5-9, and he had been hired in the wake of the firing of…
Monte Clark (49ers, 1976)
Monte Clark
Manny Rubio-Imagn Images
It seemed like Monte Clark had a bright future ahead of him as a head coach in San Francisco after making a name for himself while working under Don Shula as an assistant coach for the Dolphins (he was in Miami when they went undefeated in 1972).
However, he was hired before Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. took control of the 49ers in the offseason after going 8-6 in his first rodeo. Clark job also saw him serve as the de facto GM, but that was slated to change after the new owner hired an actual GM in the form of Joe Thomas (who Clark knew from his time in Miami and did not see eye-to-eye with).
The skipper refused to cede his power to Thomas before being fired, and he ended up picking up where he left off with the Lions while coaching in Detroit for seven seasons.
Don McCafferty (Lions, 1973)
Don McCafferty
Dick Raphael-Imagn Images
Don McCafferty arrived in Baltimore with a bang by leading the Colts to a Super Bowl victory in his first-ever season as a head coach in 1970. He posted a 22-10 record with the team, but was fired five games into his third season after refusing to bench Johnny Unitas at the behest of the aforementioned Joe Thomas.
He headed to Detroit the following year, but that was a one-and-done campaign that saw him go 6-7-1.
Harvey Johnson, Buffalo Bills, 1971
Buffalo Bills helmet
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Harvey Johnson got his first opportunity to coach the Bills in 1968 when he was promoted from defensive coordinator after Joe Collier was fired just two games into the season, and he ended up going 1-10-1.
He got another shot in 1971, but he was demoted after Buffalo finished at 1-13 during his first and only full season.
Bill Austin, Washington, 1970
Bill Austin
Herb Weitman-Imagn Images
We’re capping things off with Bill Austin, who became the first coach to be fired after his first season in the wake of the AFL-NFL merger, going 6-8 with Washington following a three-year run with the Steelers where Pittsburgh went 11-28-3.