NFL Coaching: How Hot Is the Seat of Your Coach?
In many ways, coaching in the NFL is a thankless job. Yes, you get paid well, but you are under constant pressure, and if things don't go right, you'll have everyone second guessing everything you've ever done.
Once the fans are on your back, the media follows, then the owners and soon you are unemployed. And instead of standing next to Terry Bradshaw at a podium, holding the Lombardi trophy, you're next to him in a studio talking about this week's Giants-Redskins game.
Despite that, there are 32 guys who have these jobs and will fight to the death to keep them.
Every year, it doesn't work out for several coaches, and their teams go in different directions. It can be quick, like Jim Mora's stay in Seattle or after a long tenure like Jeff Fisher in Tennessee.
As the offseason moves forward, let's take a quick look at how hot the coaching seat is for each coach coming into the 2012 season.
Ken Whisenhunt; Arizona: Room Temperature
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Whisenhunt took over a franchise that was treading water at best and has brought them to new heights.
He won two consecutive NFC West titles in 2008 and 2009 and brought the Cardinals to within a few seconds of winning Super Bowl 43.
Those two years bought him some rope, but the Cardinals are in danger of slipping further. Since the Super Bowl, Whisenhunt’s Cards have gone 15-17 and have no replacement for Kurt Warner, a suspect running game and defense.
His overall record is a mediocre 32-32, and a couple more down years, and the seat will starting getting hotter.
Mike Smith; Atlanta: Freezing
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Smith took over the Falcons the year after Bobby Petrino bolted, and Mike Vick got locked up. Things looked bleak in Atlanta.
Smith turned the ship around right away, riding rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to a 11-5 season his first year which was good enough to finish second in the NFC South and a wild-card berth.
Last year, Smith led the Falcons to the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Despite losing to the eventual champions in the playoffs, Smith and the Falcons will be one of the favorites to get to the Bowl next year.
Smith has never had a losing season and is 33-15 with Atlanta, keeping his seat ice cold.
John Harbaugh; Baltimore: Cold
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Harbaugh has turned the Ravens into an annual contender. The Ravens have made the playoffs all three years he has been coaching there.
He has coached them to an impressive 4-3 road playoff record, and they should be one of the AFC teams in the conversation again next year.
He has managed to maintain the Raven’s high-level defense, despite it aging, and has a young, up-and-coming quarterback in Joe Flacco that should keep his job safe for some time.
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Chan Gailey; Buffalo: Warm
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The Bills have never been able to reach the heights they found in the 90s and have plowed through five coaches since Marv Levy hung 'em up in 1997. Since Levy, no Bills' coach has lasted longer than three seasons.
Gailey went 4-12 last year—his first in Buffalo.
The Bills have some pieces in place that maybe Gailey can use to climb back to relevance, but they are in a tough division, and another bad year may spell the end for him.
His seat is a bit warm, but if they go out and lose, say their first four games, the heat will get turned up. If he can’t turn it around, he may be gone by the end of his third year.
Ron Rivera; Carolina: Freezing
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Rivera takes over the 2-14 Panthers after the John Fox era came to an end. He has inherited a team with some young talent in place.
The Panthers have the first overall pick in the draft and a great pick will lead to Rivera having a long and successful tenure. Choosing wrong, along with a slow rebuilding process, could lead to him being gone in two years.
However, he has yet to lose a game, so his seat is still honeymoon-cold.
Lovie Smith; Chicago: Cold
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Smith has a 63-49 record with the Bears since taking over in 2004. That includes three playoff appearances and a Super Bowl berth in 2006.
Last year, his seat was a bit warm as the Bears had not made the playoffs since the Super Bowl and seemed to be sliding a bit.
Smith was able to cool off his seat for a couple of seasons with a surprising NFC Central crown and trip to the NFC championship game this past year.
His ability to motivate Jay Cutler may determine how cold that seat remains in the next couple of years.
Marvin Lewis; Cincinnati: Hot
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Lewis was one of the most sought after coaches in 2003 after leading the Ravens and Redskins defenses. He has had a couple of good seasons in the Queen City with the high point being in 2005 when the Bengals seemed ready to make a Super Bowl run only to have Carson Palmer’s knee injury derail them.
The Bengals and Palmer have never really been the same. Lewis might have already been gone if not for a surprise AFC North Win in 2009.
He is 60-69 in Cincinnati which isn’t cutting it.
After last season’s disappointing backslide, Lewis will have to turn the Bengals around quick to keep his job.
Pat Shurmur; Cleveland: Freezing
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Shurmur takes over in Cleveland and also has the honeymoon-cold seat. There were rumblings that Browns’ president Mike Holmgren might be getting the coaching bug again, and that might always be a wild card.
If Shurmur can help turn Colt McCoy into a NFL star and improve their 29th-ranked offense, he might end up having a great run.
Today’s new coaches get about three years to start winning, so Shurmur needs to get to work to keep that seat as cold as it is now.
Jason Garrett; Dallas: Room Temperature
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Garrett took over for Wade Phillips half-way through the Cowboys’ disastrous season last year and guided the ‘Boys to some impressive wins.
He was the league’s next great coach a couple of years ago but fell out of favor as the Cowboys struggled. Jerry Jones is giving him his shot now, but he will have to win quick.
Jones wants his team to be in the spotlight, and the pressure is on Garrett. With guys like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher out there, Jones may have a quick trigger finger with Garrett.
John Fox; Denver: Cold
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Denver decided to go the retread route and hire John Fox after he was fired from Carolina. Fox has always had a great reputation and got the Panthers to the Super Bowl only to lose in a close game to New England.
Fox is a defensive-minded coach which Denver could desperately use after their defense has struggled. Fox appears to have inherited a bit of a quarterback controversy with Tim Tebow’s play at the end of last season.
He has made a statement already however, that Kyle Orton is the starter. Will this QB controversy lead to his seat warming up quicker than normal?
Jim Schwartz; Detroit: Room Temperature
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Schwartz enters his third year in Detroit, and the Lions seem to be headed in the right direction. They have some weapons on offense, and if they can keep Matthew Stafford healthy for an entire season, might be able to challenge for the division.
After a tough 2-14 opening season in 2009, Schwartz got the Lions to 6-10 last year and could see another step forward in 2011.
This is what Detroit were talking about, and until they have some sustained success, the coach will have a warmer seat than in other cities.
Mike McCarthy; Green Bay: Freezing
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Winning the Super Bowl turns the coaching seat into ice. Even before winning it, McCarthy was in good shape in Green Bay.
He has transitioned the Packers out of the Brett Favre era and established his own place in Packer lore with Aaron Rogers and a dominating defense.
McCarthy's 48-32 in Green Bay, and his seat will be freezing cold for quite some time to come.
Gary Kubiak; Houston: Warm
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Kubiak enters his sixth season with the Texans in 2012, and it’s put up time. Each year, it seems like the Texans are a chic pick to make some noise.
Each year, they seem to disappoint. Kubiak has built up an elite offense with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and last year’s breakout star Arian Foster.
But, oh the defense! Last year, the Texans were ranked near the bottom of most defensive categories which may lead to Kubiak being a coaching casualty next year.
Jim Caldwell; Indianapolis: Cold
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Caldwell took over from Tony Dungy and led the Colts back to the Super Bowl, only to lose to the Saints. He has Payton Manning which will always help keep a coach’s seat cold.
However, the Colts are hurting on defense and need to surround Manning with more weapons. Last year, they struggled as Manning was, in many ways, a one-man show.
If Caldwell wants to keep his seat cold, he’ll have to get out of the first round of the playoffs, if not, the seat could start to heat up a bit.
Jack Del Rio; Jacksonville: Hot
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Del Rio has led the Jaguars for eight years now, and it appears they keep underachieving. In those eight years, he has amassed a 65-63 record and two playoff appearances.
Not the stuff of safe-coaching seats.
Last year, the Jags seemed to be moving in the right direction, but Del Rio has been here before. After the 2007 season when they advanced to the second round in the playoffs, there were expectations to take another big step forward which they didn’t do.
They fell to 5-11 that next year and have not been back to the playoffs.
One has to wonder if the Jags drew more fans or were in a bigger market if there would be more heat on Del Rio. At some point, the team needs to take a true step forward.
Todd Haley; Kansas City: Cool
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Haley, the fiery and intense coach of the Chiefs, won the AFC West last year with a 10-6 record. He didn’t do that without ruffling some feathers however.
He had an after-game spat with Josh McDaniels during their handshake and had offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss announce he was leaving before the wild card game.
Did Weiss leave due to some beef with Haley? It’s unclear.
What is clear is that Haley seems to have the Chiefs going in the right direction. His temperament, if not kept in check, could eventually lead to some problems, but for now, his seat is cold.
Tony Sparano; Miami: Hot
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Sparano was hand-picked by Bill Parcells in 2008, and things started well with an 11-5 season. The Dolphins made the playoffs that year, and things looked sunny in Florida.
He can be credited with bringing the much copied wildcat offense into the league.
However, they have slipped the past two years and seem to be rebuilding already. He has put together solid defenses, but they have issues at quarterback and have struggled offensively as a whole.
Sparano may be a casualty if he doesn’t get the Dolphins moving in the right direction.
Leslie Frazier; Minnesota: Freezing
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Frazier took over late last year after the Vikings ousted Brad Childress. The players in Minnesota like Frazier, and with the whole Brett Favre thing in the rear view mirror, Frazier will get some rope to try and bring the Vikings back.
He has a lot of good pieces in place to do some good with the Vikings. He still has a good line and running game and some players on defense.
He will have to find someone to play quarterback to get over the hump again.
Whether they draft a QB or make a move for a veteran, it will be up to Frazier to develop him and make the Vikings powerful again.
Bill Belichick; New England: Freezing
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It’s hard to imagine a coach who is more secure in his job than Belichick is. Widely considered one of the best coaches ever, he most likely will be coaching in New England until he decides it's time to quit.
Four Super Bowl trips, three wins, 10 division titles and a 126-50 record highlight his resume, not to mention he has done it with a changing roster over that time. Belichick’s true greatness may be developing talent and keeping together the best modern day dynasty.
Belichick, and his hoody, will be enshrined in Canton when his coaching days are finally over.
Sean Payton; New Orleans: Freezing
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Payton has won a Super Bowl and got the Saints to the NFC Championship in 2006. He is secure, and considering the history of the Saints, he is there to stay for a while.
Payton has presided over the greatest five years in the franchise’s history with a 49-31 record. He has a franchise quarterback which will help keep his job safe for quite a while.
He is beloved in New Orleans and has changed the identity of the Saints from laughing stock to a perennial powerhouse.
Tom Coughlin; New York Giants: Hot
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Coughlin is an interesting case. He won one of the greatest Super Bowl’s ever in 2007 by defeating the unbeaten Patriots. That should have secured him for quite a while.
However, the road before that season, and after, have been bumpy. He has not been the most player-friendly coach, the team has fallen apart in some years and he even had a player (Tiki Barber) claim he was out coached in a playoff game against the Panthers.
New York is a tough town, and with the circus of the Jets sharing the air space, the pressure is on Coughlin. Another disappointing season and that Super Bowl feeling will be gone…as will he.
Rex Ryan; New York Jets: Freezing
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Rex Ryan simply has the biggest mouth in the league. He is already on record claiming the Jets are going to win the next Super Bowl.
This isn't shocking as Ryan makes the same claim every year.
If nothing else, Ryan is entertaining and a good coach. He has turned around the Jets, and his confidence is contagious with his players. They love him; the team and fans love him as well.
He is safe for a while as he has brought the Jets to within one game of the Super Bowl in both his years in New York, but you have to wonder if that mouth will become old if they don’t win it all?
Hue Jackson; Oakland: Hot
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How can Jackson’s seat in Oakland be hot? After all, he has yet to coach a game.
His seat is hot because he works for Al Davis who could decide to fire him as quickly as the wind in the Bay shifts.
Coaching the Raiders is a tough gig, and time will tell if Jackson is up for the challenge. The Raiders have some players, could probably use an upgrade at quarterback and have some free-agent challenges facing them.
Jackson not only has to face the NFL competition each week, but he has to deal with his owner breathing down his neck daily.
If Jackson can make it all come together, he may stay the shaky hand of Al Davis.
Andy Reid; Philadelphia: Cold
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Reid is an institution in Philadelphia. He is 118-73 as Eagles' coach and has been to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.
His job is secure in another tough sports town. Eagles fans are not afraid to voice their displeasure, and the fact that Reid has survived for so long is an accomplishment in its own right.
He has a strong team coming off another NFC East title and should be one of the favorites to repeat next year.
It will be interesting to see what Reid and the Eagles decide to do with Kevin Kolb.
If they are able to trade him for decent draft picks, the Eagles may be set up to stay competitive, and thus, Reid’s seat cold, for quite some time.
Mike Tomlin; Pittsburgh: Freezing
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Let’s see, you take over the Steelers from Bill Cowher and win a Super Bowl in your second year. You follow that up with another Super Bowl berth this past season. Your seat is safe.
Tomlin is 43-21 and has never had a losing season since being hired by the Steelers.
Tomlin is a players coach who is a perfect fit in the Steel City. He is tough and appreciates hard-nosed defense. The Steelers will be Super Bowl contenders again next year, and Tomlin will be coaching there for a long time.
Norv Turner; San Diego: On Fire
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Turner flamed out as the coach of the Redskins and appears to be headed that way in San Diego. The Chargers are loaded with talent, and yet, the past two seasons they have underachieved.
This past year, they were ranked second in scoring and first on defense. How did that team not make the playoffs? Well, their special teams cost them a couple of games, as well as lackluster effort at times.
Another repeat performance and Turner will be unemployed again. He will need to get the Chargers to live up to their potential.
They have Super Bowl talent, but Turner has done nothing with it which usually leads to the unemployment line for coaches..
Jim Harbaugh; San Francisco: Freezing
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Harbaugh was the hottest college coach last year, and the Niners were able to lure him from the Farm to the Bay.
He takes over a team that, on paper, should be the favorite to win the NFC West. His defense is hard-hitting and good, and he has a great running back in Frank Gore with a young, up-and-coming line.
There are questions at quarterback as former No. 1 pick Alex Smith has struggled and one wonders if a change of scenery is best for him. Harbaugh has a track record in college of developing quarterbacks and has hinted that he might want the challenge of turning Smith into a star.
For now, he is in his honeymoon phase with the ‘Niners and has a cold seat.
Pete Carrol; Seattle: Cold
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Carrol led the Seahawks to one of the most bizarre seasons any NFL team may have ever seen. Yes, they won the NFC West at 7-9 and stunned New Orleans in the playoffs.
But, despite all that, they weren’t very good. They struggled greatly on offense and were near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories.
Carrol’s Seahawks have a ton of holes that need to addressed in this offseason, and they are still rebuilding.
Carrol has a pretty cold coaching seat, he is enthusiastic and has preached competition which got the team to play above their heads and win games they shouldn’t have.
That enthusiasm needs to turn into consistent wins for his seat to stay cold.
Steve Spagnuolo; St. Louis: Cold
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The Rams improved a great deal last year and were one game away from winning the NFC West. Spagnuolu has a franchise quarterback to go along with a rising defense.
The one complaint last year was the offense played too conservatively at times which cost them in the play-in game against Seattle.
They have brought in former Denver coach Josh McDaniels to spice up the offense and will look to give Sam Bradford more weapons this offseason. The future looks good for the Rams and Spagnuolo.
Raheem Morris; Tampa Bay: Cold
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were one of the good stories from last year. Morris guided them to a winning record and one game out of a wild-card spot.
They have a young star quarterback in Josh Freeman which will help Morris stay competitive for years to come. Last year, the youth on the team showed, and they were unable to get over the hump against the top teams in the NFC.
That seems like it will change as Morris’ team matures; nobody will want to see them on their schedule this upcoming year.
Mike Munchak; Tennessee: Cold
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Munchak is coming into his first year as a coach, replacing the long-time Titans coach Jeff Fischer. His main obstacle may be trying to replace a long-term successful coach.
His seat might be freezing if it weren’t for the fact that he wasn’t the big-name coach many fans were hoping for. He will have to start showing he has the Titans moving in the right direction to keep the heat off.
But for now, he has the honeymoon cool on his coaching seat.
Mike Shanahan; Washington: Warm
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Like Al Davis, working for Daniel Snyder is a tough challenge. The Redskins have blown through coaches the way Charlie Sheen goes through porn stars.
Shanahan has a great track record which will work in his favor. Last year, he feuded with Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb as he tried to instill his system to the Redskins.
He will need to start showing results quick however, to avoid the wrath and quick trigger finger of his boss. For that reason alone, his seat was warm the moment he agreed to coach in D.C.
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