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The worst head coaching hire for each NFL team. Who were the worst head coaching hires in NFL history.
Every NFL Team's Worst Coaching Hire of All Time
With the offseason in full swing and teams welcoming new head coaches, let’s look back at the worst head coaching hirings by each NFL team in league history. To determine the worst, we will look at expectations and the overall record with the team.
Arizona Cardinals
Steve Wilks
Steve Wilks was the head skipper in Arizona for just one campaign. In 2018, he led the Cardinals to a disappointing 3-13 record and was relieved of his duties in the offseason. In the draft, the Cardinals selected Josh Rosen in the first round, but Wilks was unable to develop the young QB. At home, the Cardinals won just one game. This paved the way for Kliff Kingsbury to earn the head coaching job.
Atlanta Falcons
Marion Campbell
Marion Campbell was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for two separate stints and was not productive in either. During his first stint (three seasons), Campbell had two seasons in which he won just one game. During his second stint (also three seasons), Campbell was able to win 11 total games, but still never had a winning season.
Baltimore Ravens
Ted Marchibroda
Ted Marchibroda was the first head coach in Baltimore Ravens history. During his three seasons as the head skipper of the Ravens (1996-1996), he never had a winning record. He won six games in two seasons and four in the other. During his time in Baltimore, he was never able to improve the direction of the franchise. However, the next head coach, Brian Billick, led this team to a Super Bowl.
Buffalo Bills
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan entered Buffalo with high expectations after leading the New York Jets to two AFC Championship games. However, during his two seasons in Buffalo, Ryan was never able to lead them to the postseason. He held an 8-8 record in his first season and a 7-8 record in his final campaign.
Carolina Panthers
Matt Rhule
Matt Rhule won just five games in each of his first two seasons in Carolina and was eventually relieved of his duties during his third campaign. In his third season, Rhule led the Panthers to a 1-4 record. One major weakness of Carolina during his tenure was the lack of a franchise quarterback. Rhule gave several quarterbacks starting opportunities, but none were able to take the team to the next level.
Chicago Bears
Marc Trestman
Marc Trestman was the head coach in Chicago for two seasons. He held a modest 8-8 record during his first campaign but took a significant step back in Year 2 when he led the Bears to a 5-11 record. Much of his struggles came on the defensive side of the game. During the 2014 campaign, the Bears allowed the second-most points in football and allowed the third-most passing yards.
Cincinnati Bengals
David Shula
David Shula is the son of one of (if not) the greatest head coach of all time, Don Shula. However, David was unable to find the same success his father did. David Shula was the head coach of the Bengals for five seasons and posted an underwhelming 19-52 record. During his tenure, the Bengals never qualified for the postseason and won a season-high of seven games.
Cleveland Browns
Hue Jackson
During 2.5 seasons in Cleveland, Hue Jackson posted a 3-36-1 record. During his first season (2015), Jackson won just one contest. However, in 2016, Jackson went 0-16, which was only the second team in NFL history to accomplish this feat. He was unable to get No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield on track. However, Mayfield would eventually reach a new level with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dallas Cowboys
Dave Campo
Dave Campo was the only head coach in Dallas Cowboys history to not have a winning season. During his tenure, Campo posted an overall 15-33 record. He was never able to lead a competent offense, as they had a revolving door at quarterback. However, his legacy did not last long as he was replaced by Bill Parcells, who immediately got Dallas back on track.
Denver Broncos
Nathaniel Hackett
Nathaniel Hackett had one of the shortest tenures in NFL head coaching history. In Denver, Hackett posted a 4-11 record before being relieved of his duties during the 2022 campaign. The Broncos entered this campaign with high expectations as they brought in former Super Bowl-winning QB Russell Wilson. However, Hackett was unable to succeed as a head coach and eventually found a job in New York as an Offensive Coordinator.
Detroit Lions
Rod Marinelli
As previously mentioned, David Shula became the second head coach in NFL history to coach an 0-16 team; Rod Marinelli was the first. In 2008, Marinelli led the Lions to a 0-16 record. During his three seasons, Marinelli posted an underwhelming 10-38 record. His defense was always a major concern as they finished second-worst in his second season and last in his final season.
Green Bay Packers
Mike Sherman
While Mike Sherman was a successful head coach, in the history of the Green Bay Packers, he sits near the bottom. During his six-year tenure in Green Bay, Sherman held a 57-39 record but was never able to win the big game. During his tenure, the Packers won just two playoff games and never reached the Super Bowl.
Houston Texans
Bill O’Brien
Bill O’Brien was not only the head coach but also the general manager of Houston, which is why he earned a spot on this list. As head coach, he posted a modest 52-48 record and won two playoff games. He had five winning seasons but fell significantly under .500 in his other two seasons, bringing his record down. As a GM, O’Brien made several questionable trades, moving DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals and Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle.
Indianapolis Colts
Jim Mora
While Jim Mora was not a failure as a head coach, he was unable to lead the Colts to success with Peyton Manning under center. After posting a strong 10-6 record in 2000, Mora and the Colts took a significant step back in 2001, winning just six games and falling out of the playoff picture. Mora’s tenure did not age well after Tony Dungy took over and led the Colts to a Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer’s time in Jacksonville was a downright disaster. Meyer lasted just 13 games in his debut season before being relieved of his duties. He won just two games and lost 11. While there is no doubt that Meyer was one of the most successful college head coaches in recent history, he was unable to find success at the professional level.
Kansas City Chiefs
Romeo Crennel
Romeo Crennel only lasted 1.5 seasons in Kansas City before being terminated. He was brought in as the interim head coach at the end of the 2011 season but was officially named head coach at the start of the 2012 season. As the head skipper in Kansas City, Crennel posted a 4-15 record. In his first season (and only full campaign), he held a 2-14 record. He was then replaced by Andy Reid, a future Hall of Famer.
Las Vegas Raiders
Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin’s tenure in Oakland did not last long. After posting a 4-12 record in his first season, Kiffin held a 1-3 record in his second season before being relieved of his duties. During his time in Oakland, there were reports that Kiffin had several disagreements with management and especially owner Al Davis. His defense placed in the bottom 10 in both of his seasons.
Los Angeles Chargers
Mike McCoy
While Mike McCoy enjoyed moments of success, he was never able to lead the Chargers to extended success. Across our seasons, McCoy held a 27-37 record and won a career best of nine games during each of his first two seasons. However, he was only able to qualify for the postseason once.
Los Angeles Rams
Steve Spagnuolo
While Steve Spagnulo is widely considered one of the greatest defensive minds in coaching history, he did not find similar success as the head skipper in St. Louis. As head coach of the Rams, Spagnulo posted a 10-38 record. During two of these seasons, he won two games or fewer. He was never able to reach the postseason as a head coach and could never develop No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford.
Miami Dolphins
Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron’s tenure in Miami lasted just one season. In 2007, Cameron led the Dolphins to a 1-15 record and was relieved of his duties during the following offseason. During this season, the Dolphins allowed the most rushing yards and the sixth-most passing yards. On offense, the Dolphins scored the fifth-most points.
Minnesota Vikings
Mike Tice
Mike Tice’s tenure in Minnesota lasted five seasons. During this stretch, Tice held a 32-33 record. He only had two winning seasons and won just one playoff game. While Tice had moments of success, like several names on this list, he was never able to bring his team to the next level. In addition, Tice had several talented players on his roster, such as Randy Moss and Daunte Culpepper, but was unable to build a true winning culture.
New England Patriots
Jerod Mayo
Jerod Mayo’s time in New England lasted just one season. Mayo had the tall task of replacing legendary head coach Bill Belichick but was unable to live up to his legacy. Mayo posted a 4-13 record. The Patriots allowed the most passing yards in the league and tallied the second-most yards on offense. He was unable to further Drake Maye’s development, who the team selected with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England Saints
Dennis Allen
Similar to Jerod Mayo, Dennis Allen had to replace long-time New Orleans head coach Sean Payton. During his first season, Allen held a 7-10 record and improved to a 9-8 record in his second season. However, in his third campaign, Allen took a steep step back as he won just two games (out of nine) before being relieved of his duties in the middle of the campaign.
New York Giants
Ben McAdoo
Ben McAdoo enjoyed an impressive start to his tenure in New York as he posted an 11-5 record and made the playoffs. However, he lost in the opening round. In the second season, McAdoo held a 2-10 record before being fired midseason. McAdoo’s infamous moment as head coach was when he decided to bench long-time Giant quarterback Eli Manning after he made 210 straight starts for Big Blue.
New York Jets
Robert Saleh
After leading one of the best defensive units in the sport in San Francisco, Robert Saleh had high expectations in leading the New York Jets. The Jets had several budding stars at the time, headlined by No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. However, Saleh was never able to develop Wilson. Across 3.5 seasons, he posted a 20-36 record and never made the postseason.
Philadelphia Eagles
Ray Rhodes
Ray Rhodes was on pace to be a successful NFL head coach after posting a 10-6 record in each of his first two seasons. However, during this two-season stretch, he won just one playoff game. Then, over his final three seasons, Rhodes won just 17 games and never had a winning season. While Rhodes was successful, he was never able to lead the Eagles to a championship.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bill Austin
Bill Austin was one of the few head coaches in Pittsburgh history who did not enjoy a successful tenure. Across three seasons in the Steel City, Austin posted an 11-28 record. He won a season-besst six games during his debut season but saw this number decline over his final two campaigns. He was then replaced by Chuck Noll who led them to four Super Bowls.
San Francisco 49ers
Chip Kelly
Chip Kelly’s tenue in San Francisco lasted just one season. In his lone season, Kelly posted a 2-14 record and was relieved of his duties in the following offseason. During this season, the 49ers allowed the most rushing yards in the league and tallied the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the league. He was replaced by Kyle Shanahan who led the 49ers to two Super Bowl appearances.
Seattle Seahawks
Jim Mora Jr.
Jim Mora Jr. was the head skipper in Seattle for just one season. During his lone campaign, he led the Seahawks to a disappointing 5-11 record. Both their offense and defense were both below average. Most of his struggles came in developing quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The offense took a significant step back under Mora’s leadership.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raheem Morris
Raheem Morris showed great potential at times but was never able to find consistency. During his first season, Morris won just three games. However, in Year 2, he won 10 games but then took a step back in Year 3, winning just four contests. Morris earned the spot on this list due to his strong decline in his final season. In his final season, the Buccaneers allowed the most rushing yards in the league.
Tennessee Titans
Mike Munchak
Mike Munchak did have a poor tenure as head skipper in Tennessee; however, he was never able to bring them to the next level. In his first season, he led the Titans to a 9-7 record. However, he saw this number decline over his final two seasons. He was never able to reach the postseason despite having several talented players like Chris Johnson leading the offensive attack.
Washington Commanders
Jim Zorn
Jim Zorn’s tenure in D.C. lasted just two seasons. In his first season, Zorn posted a modest 8-8 record but took a steep step back in Year 2 as he won just four games. He was relieved of his duties the following offseason. In his final season, he was unable to build a successful game plan around newly signed quarterback Jason Campbell and could never get the team back on track.
