NFL Rumors: 10 Coaches Who May Lose Their Job By End of 2011 Season

One of the coolest things for a struggling team in the NFL to do this season has been to fire their head coach, starting with the Dallas Cowboys' Wade Phillips back in early November.

Since the firing of Phillips, the NFL has followed with Denver's Josh McDaniels, Minnesota's Brad Childress, San Francisco's Mike Singletary, Carolina's John Fox and Cleveland's Eric Mangini.

The craziest part of it all is that it is definitely not over, and there are still quite a few teams who would be keen on grabbing a new head coach and starting off fresh for the future.

There are even a few coaches who could be fired while I am writing this, so I really need to hurry it up I suppose.

So, before Marvin Lewis gets canned, I'll count down the coaches with the least stable jobs at this point in the year.

10. Mike Shanahan

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LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 02: Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan makes a point with a referee in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants at FedEx Field on January 2, 2011 in Landover, Maryland. The Giants won the game 17-14. (Pho

The Redskins have just put up one of the most puzzling and disappointing season the NFL has seen in years.

With a brand new quarterback coming in and what seemed to be quite a solid team put together, teamed with the fact that Mike Shanahan is a prove winner, it looked like the Redskins would contend for the NFC East title this season.

Well, a handful of feuds with Albert Haynesworth and two benchings of Donovan McNabb later and the Redskins ended the season at 6-10.

Shanahan signed a five-year deal with the Redskins nearly a year ago today, but if his 2011 is as rocky and embarrassing as 2010 was, then he could be on the way out just as quick as he came in.

9. Jim Caldwell

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts speaks to members of the media during the AFC Head Coach Press Conference held at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center as part of media week for S

There was not one shot of Jim Caldwell this season where he didn't look like a deer in the headlights.

He is the only head coach who has looked afraid the whole time he was in the game.

My biggest question is, what does this man actually do?

Peyton Manning is the de facto offensive coordinator of the team, and does an excellent job of it for what he is given, and then the Colts have one of the worst defenses in the league.

What does Caldwell actually do?

My suggestion (because you know how often the Colts listen to my suggestions) would be to bring in a defensive minded coach who...well...at least looks like he is doing something during a game.

8. Tom Coughlin

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Head coach Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants looks on agianst the Washington Redskins on December 5, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 31-7. (Photo b

Ok, I'll be the one that says it. Tom Coughlin is getting kind of old isn't he?

Surprisingly enough, Coughlin is only 64 (same as Brett Favre!), he doesn't look a day under 75.

There has been a trend in the NFL as of late for a bit of a youth movement as far as coaching goes, and maybe the Giants should follow suit if another disappointing season comes their way in 2011.

7. Jack Del Rio

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HOUSTON - JANUARY 02: Head coach Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on from the sidelines during first half action against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

What happened to Jacksonville this season was nearly an implosion, but it was just this side of falling down rather than collapsing into themselves.

Jacksonville had the division in the palm of their hands in week 15 before they played Indianapolis. A win there would all but mean winning the division.

They went into Indy, one of the worst run defense teams in the nation, ran the ball only 22 times and lost. Then, still with a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive, they lost at home to the weak Redskins, and followed that up with a loss to Houston when a win would at least give them a glimmer of hope.

Del Rio has had an air of mediocrity as a head coach in his tenure with Jacksonville, and that is not something that is going to bring about a Super Bowl.

6. Norv Turner

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DENVER - JANUARY 02: Head coach Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers leads his team against the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field at Mile High on January 2, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Chargers defeated the Broncos 33-28. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty

The people of San Diego must be getting tired of the Chargers act.

Turner is coaching one of the most talent-laden teams in the NFL, yet year after year he just can't seem to put it all together.

His teams always start out slow, and just when you think they're down and out they will come back strong and squeeze into the playoffs.

It didn't work out this season, however, as the Chiefs had built up too much of a lead to overcome, leading to a lonely January for Turner.

The Bolts need to pick up a guy that can light a fire under the belly of these players, and have them play as great as they should be able to play.

5. Ken Wisenhunt

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DENVER - SEPTEMBER 3: Head coach Ken Wisenhunt of the Arizona Cardinals looks on during the NFL preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High on September 3, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

You can really only blame a coach so much when he is quarterbacking his team with the likes of Max Hall, Derek Anderson and John Skelton.

However, with the culture of losing that has suddenly surrounded the Cardinals, just a few short years after their Super Bowl trip no less, it may be time for a change.

Wisenhunt has put out a particularly disappointing team, with many of his players seeming to phone end quite a few plays each game, and Larry Fitzgerald becoming completely depressed that he can't get a ball thrown to him that isn't six feet over his head or hitting his toes.

4. Chan Gailey

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TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 07: Chan Gailey, head coach of the Buffalo Bills stands on the sidelines against the Chicago Bears at Rogers Centre on November 7, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. Chicago won 22-19. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

It seems like Chan Gailey was hired in order to be fired for this Bills team.

The Bills are just not a good team, although Ryan Fitzpatrick has been rather impressive this season, and are going nowhere fast.

Gailey seems like a coach they hired in order to bridge the gap of a few depressing years while they get their future planned and start to make moves for on down the road.

Should we start planning his going away party now?

3. Gary Kubiak

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HOUSTON - JANUARY 02: Head coach Gary Kubiak of the Houston Texans checks the scroreboard in the fourth quarter during action against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Reliant Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

It seems that every Houston Texans fan that I come in contact with is furious with Gary Kubiak. They are really quite enraged at what a poor job he has done with such a good offense.

The Texans have been waiting for next year for the past five years, as each year it seems as if they will finally break out the following year.

Well, this year was another one of those years, and the people of Houston are getting plum tired of it.

Kubiak shouldn't last much longer in Texas, considering they will either fire him, or just wait for the fans to run into the stadium, tar and feather him, and run him out of town.

2. Jeff Fisher

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INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 02: Jeff Fisher the Head Coach of the Tennessee Titans watches play during NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Jeff Fisher, thank Marvin Lewis for keeping you from the number one spot in this particular slide show.

Fisher has been with the Titans/Oilers since becoming the head coach in 1994, making him the longest tenured head coach in the NFL on one team.

The time may have come, however, to part was with the mustachioed Californian.

Fisher spent much of the second half of this season coaching players who had seemed to have given up on him, and anytime it looks as if players have given up, they probably have.

Fisher will probably end up coaching in the NFL next season, just probably not with the Titans.

1. Marvin Lewis

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CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Marvin Lewis the Head Coach of the Cincinnati Bengals watches play during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers at Paul Brown Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals 34-20. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty

Marvin Lewis has tried to be Tony Dungy lite for much of his career in Cincinnati.

He has tried to take a chance on troubled players with large egos and whip them into shape while getting them under his control, and for a while it seemed as if he had done a good job of that.

Unfortunately, this season he took on the challenge that nobody could possibly complete, making a team with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco down to earth and competitive.

There wasn't a huge explosion from either of them, but there were jabs at many people on the team coming from the two, especially aimed toward Marvin Lewis.

He had done a good job as a rehabilitator up to this point, but this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

It would make more since to fire him now rather than have him ride out 2011 as a lame duck coach, but stranger things have happened I suppose.