40 NFL Coaches Who Ran Their Teams Into The Ground

Darren - October 8, 2020

40 NFL Coaches Who Ran Their Teams Into The Ground

Darren - October 8, 2020

5. Chip Kelly

Kelly made a number of horrendous decisions while in charge of the Philadelphia Eagles that still bemuse today. His first two seasons finished with winning records but the third ended 6-9. Bizarrely, he approved the trade All-Pro LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills. Yes, the same Bills who were their divisional rivals. The loss of Nick Foles and Jeremy Mclin also had a negative impact on their fortunes.

The Eagles fired him but he had another shot in the NFL. Kelly managed to run the San Francisco 49ers into the ground too. After beating the Rams in their opening game of the season, they went on a 13-game losing streak. At least he was consistent. But finally, the 49ers had enough and cut him loose at the end of the season.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

4. Vance Joseph

The Broncos weren’t exactly worldbeaters when Joseph took the reins, but he ensured that they wouldn’t reach that status. After back-to-back losing seasons, he received his marching orders. That was an extraordinary achievement in itself because it was the first time in over 40 years that the Broncos had two losing seasons in a row. He ran them into the ground.

Joseph’s shocking in-game decision-making and inability to manage the clock in clutch situations made fans loath him. Furthermore, he struggled to motivate his players and also put too much faith in underperforming athletes. Nobody shed any tears when he departed. He may get another chance to prove himself in the NFL but it will definitely be a gamble.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

3. Rich Kotite

After a 6-10 season, the New York Jets sacked future Super Bowl winner Pete Carroll and brought in Rich Kotite. Furthermore, they took the dangerous step of making him general manager as well. If it goes well, then excellent. But if it doesn’t, one man will run your franchise into the ground with nobody there to challenge his decisions until it’s too late.

In sum, that’s exactly what happened with the hapless Jets’ coach. He led them to the two worst seasons in franchise history, with just four wins in two years. His final season saw the Jets finish with just a single victory. Also, his efforts in the draft were as shambolic as his coaching. His name still makes Jets’ fans shudder today. One of the worst coaches in NFL history.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

2. Norv Turner

Marty Schottenheimer did a solid job with the Chargers until they abruptly sacked him. Then Turner came in with a reputation as one of the best offensive coaches in the league. He had some exciting talent to pick like Philip Rivers, Michael Turner, and LaDainian Tomlinson. However, the latter pair departed and the former badly regressed.

Turner’s biggest issue was his failure to lead one of the most talented rosters in NFL history to the Super Bowl. Instead, they regularly crashed out in the playoffs in shock defeats to teams like the New York Jets. Towards the end of his reign, the Chargers went on losing streaks and several other key players left. In the end, San Diego fired him after a 7-9 losing season. What a waste of potential.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

1. Bill O’Brien

O’Brien ran the Houston Texans into the ground after the office gave him too much power. First, the head coach and general manager destroyed his franchise’s cap by going after Brock Osweiler. Furthermore, he constantly took Deshaun Watson’s weapons away from him. Trading DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona remains one of the most bizarre decisions in recent NFL history.

The coach had the power to mold his team in his image. Unfortunately, for the Texans, this meant losing their best players while mediocre talent came in. Another player they traded away for nothing was Jadeveon Clowney who has continued to produce All-Pro form. Meanwhile, the Texans have the biggest payroll in the NFL. Unsurprisingly, they finally sacked him. But they let the rot seep in too far already.

<< Previous

40 NFL Coaches Who Ran Their Teams Into The Ground