NFL Power Rankings: Ranking the 25 Most Worthless Coaches in NFL History

Trying to find a coach to lead your team can be a very difficult task for an NFL franchise.  Selecting a head coach is likely a more daunting task than bringing in a quarterback to lead your team.

The head coach is responsible for running practices, drawing up game plans, and maintaining chemistry amongst his players. 

Obviously, a head coach can't do everything, thus the reason for assistant coaches.  However, when things go wrong, they are the ones who have to take the blame.

From Bobby Petrino to Jim Zorn to Lou Holtz, here are the most worthless coaches in NFL history.

25. Dom Capers

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HOUSTON - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Dom Capers of the Houston Texans during play against the Indianapolis Colts on October 23, 2005 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Colts defeated the Texans 38-20. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Career Record: 49-81

Dom Capers started off his NFL coaching career on a successful note.  He led the Carolina Panthers to a 7-9 record in 1995, a record high for wins in the first season of an expansion team.  The following season, he led them to the NFC Championship game.

Everything went downhill from there, as he never had a winning record in his next five seasons as a head coach.

To cut Capers some slack, both of his head coaching gigs were with expansion teams, so he was responsible for building a team from the bottom up.

On the bright side for Capers, he did win a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers last season as their defensive coordinator.

24. Joe Bugel

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LANDOVER, MD - 2009: Joe Bugel of the Washington Redskins poses for his 2009 NFL headshot at photo day in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by NFL Photos)

Career Record:  24-56

Joe Bugel is one of the many coaches who had a disappointing career as a head coach with the Cardinals.  He spent three seasons as a head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals in the early '90s and was never really able to get anything going.

Bugel never really looked or sounded like a head coach during his tenure, and was best fit to stay as an offensive line coach; something he returned to following another disappointment in Oakland.

23. Dave McGinnis

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SEATTLE - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Dave McGinnis of the Arizona Cardinals looks on from the sideline during the game against the Seattle Seahawks on December 21 2003 at Seahawks Stadium in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 28-10. (P

Career Record:  17-40

Another Cardinals head coach who had a short head-coaching career, Dave McGinnis was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals for four seasons before being hired as head coach.

McGinnis was another coach in a long list of coaches who was unable to turn the Cardinals around before Ken Whisenhunt came to town.

McGinnis did not have much talent on his team, and acclaimed head coach Dennis Green, who replaced him, was also unable to win more than six games in any season.

22. Eric Mangini

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CINCINNATI - NOVEMBER 29: Eric Mangini the Head Coach of the Cleveland Browns walks on the field during the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 29, 2009 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Career Record: 33-47

Eric Mangini, was dubbed "Mangenius" when he was hired as a 35-year-old by the New York Jets. 

His biggest contribution to the NFL as a head coach may have been his involvement in jump starting the "spygate" scandal, when he complained about the New England Patriots taping their signals during a game.

Mangini was eventually fired after the Brett Favre fiasco failed, and was hired by the Cleveland Browns, where he was eventually ousted as well.

21. Mike Nolan

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Mike Nolan of the San Francisco 49ers watches the game from the sideline against the New York Giants on October 19, 2008 at Giant Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the 49ers 27-19. (

Career Record: 18-37

Mike Nolan posted three and a half awful seasons as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, and never posted a winning record. 

Nolan was seen as a defensive mastermind before he was eventually hired as a head coach, however, his defenses were not much better than his offenses during his head-coaching tenure.

The best part of his coaching career came as a defensive coordinator for the Redskins when Dan Snyder apparently told him that he "does not like vanilla," referring to Nolan's defensive schemes.

20. David Shula

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18 Dec 1994: Cincinnati Bengals head coach David Shula looks on during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Cardinals won the game, 28-7.

Career Record: 19-52

Dave Shula was not blessed with the coaching genes of his father Don Shula, and was quickly ran out of the NFL.

He was named head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1992 after spending a year as an assistant coach with the team.

Prior to landing in Cincinnati, he served as offensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson in Dallas for two seasons before being demoted and eventually departing the team to join the Bengals.

Shula somehow managed to last over four seasons with the Bengals, before being fired halfway into his fifth season.

19. Mike Riley

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TUCSON, AZ - OCTOBER 09: Head coach Mike Riley of the Oregon State Beavers talks with an official during the college football game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on October 9, 2010 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty

Career Record: 14-34

Mike Riley, the both former and current Oregon State head coach, also had a stint in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers.

He coached the team from 1999-2001 and coached one of the worst teams in NFL history—the 2000 Chargers finished with a record of 1-15.

He somehow remained coach for a third season, but was quickly dismissed following that, eventually returning to the college game, where he has had relative success over the years.

18. Lindy Infante

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27 Aug 1988: Head coach Lindy Infante of the Green Bay Packers in action during a preseason game against the New York Jets at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Daniel /Allsport

Career Record: 36-61

Lindy Infante became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1988, after a stint as head coach of the USFL's Jacksonville Bulls, and as an offensive coordinator for both the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.

Infante actually won the NFL AP Coach of the Year Award in 1989 after leading the Packers to a 10-6 season.  His team won their final six games but were still left out of the playoffs.

Things went downhill from there for Infante and he was eventually fired after going 10-22 over the next two seasons. 

He eventually returned to coaching with the Indianapolis Colts and reached the playoffs in one season, but lost that game by a wide margin of 42-14.  His final season of coaching was in 1997 when the Colts finished the season with a 3-13 record.

17. Nick Saban

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 13: Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide enters the stadium before play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs November 13, 2010 at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Career Record: 15-17

Nick Saban was nowhere near the worst coach on this list—in fact, there is a chance he could have succeeded at the NFL level.  However, he quit on the Miami Dolphins after just two seasons.

Saban led his team to a 9-7 record in his first season, but they struggled in his second year as they went just 6-10.

However, the talent that Saban had in Miami was sub-par on the offensive side of the ball as his quarterbacking trio consisted of Daunte Culpepper, Joey Harrington, and Cleo Lemon. 

Saban quit on the Dolphins and set the team back another three years in the process, as his departure led to the hiring of Cam Cameron.

16. Dave Campo

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IRVING, TX - MAY 01: Secondary coach Dave Campo of the Dallas Cowboys during rookie mini camp on May 1, 2009 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Career Record: 15-33

Dave Campo spent three seasons as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and was one of the most consistent coaches of all time. 

His consistency was not exactly good though, as he finished each season with a 5-11 record. 

Campo was probably best known for the onside kick that he decided to open his coaching career with in his debut.  The Cowboys recovered his onside kick, which marked a successful start to a very unsuccessful career.

15. John North

Career Record: 11-23

North went 5-9 in his first two seasons in the league as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints before being fired during his third season.

He is most known for being the first Saints coach to coach in the Louisiana Superdome before being fired after a 1-5 start in his third season at the helm.

14. Bud Wilkinson

Career Record: 9-20

The legendary coach at the University of Oklahoma also had a brief coaching job in the NFL.  He coached the St. Louis Rams in 1978 and 1979 after coming out of retirement.

Neither season was much of a success for Wilkinson who ended up resigning and returning to the broadcast booth in the middle of his second season.

13. Jim Zorn

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SAN DIEGO - JANUARY 03: Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn looks on from the sideline against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on January 3, 2010 in San Diego, California. The Chargers defeated the Redskins 23-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Get

Career Record: 12-20

Jim Zorn was a guy who really should have never received a head-coaching job in the NFL.  He was an offensive coordinator for two years at Utah State, but never received another job higher than quarterbacks coach until his promotion as the Redskins head coach.

Even his hiring process was odd—he was originally hired to be offensive coordinator, and was suddenly given the head-coaching job after Daniel Snyder could not decide on anyone else.

The Redskins started off 6-2 under Jim Zorn but went 6-18 after that, and Zorn essentially lost his job as head coach six games into his second season.

12. Howard Schnellenberger

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NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Howard Schnellenberger of the Florida Atlantic University Owls calls a play against the Memphis University Tigers in the New Orleans Bowl on December 21, 2007 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Career Record: 4-13

Schnellenberger, the longtime coach at Florida Atlantic University, spent just over a year as a head coach in the NFL.

He coached the Baltimore Colts in the early 1970s, but was relieved after his teams performed poorly in his 17 games.

Schellenberger has been in coaching for most of his life, and has performed adequately as an assistant and at the college level with Florida Atlantic since he left the NFL.  However, his NFL head-coaching career was a washout, as his teams just didn't seem prepared and were often out-coached.

On the bright side, he is 6-0 in college bowl games, and that should count for something.

11. Steve Spurrier

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Washington Redskins coach Steve Spurrier on the sidelines at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida, August 8, 2002. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Career Record: 12-20

Both Redskins coaches who made this list had records of 12-20 during their two seasons at head coach.  Spurrier flashed a little bit more potential as a head coach than Zorn did, however, he refused to modify his pass-blocking schemes.

His quarterbacks, while none of them were successful in the NFL, were beaten and bruised on a regular basis, and his defenses could not stop the run.

When Spurrier came to the NFL, he brought with him massive expectations, as he signed the largest contract for a head coach at the time—five years and $25 million later.

However, Spurrier discovered in his two seasons that his schemes were not going to be successful and, instead of adapting, he decided to resign as head coach, thus ushering in the second era of Joe Gibbs.

10. Lou Holtz

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 13: Former head coach Lou Holtz of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish talks to current head coach Charlie Weis prior to playing the Michigan Wolverines on September 13, 2008 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Gr

Career Record: 3-10

It is almost sad to put Lou Holtz this high on a list of failures, however, his tenure with the New York Jets was simply embarrassing.

He did not even last the full season and resigned with one game to play. 

Leaving the Jets in 1976 turned out to be a great decision, as ten years later he ended up taking over as the Notre Dame coach and turned into one of the greatest college coaches of the era.

9. Josh McDaniels

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown on the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at INVESCO Field at Mile High on November 14, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Bron

Career Record: 11-17

Josh McDaniels was hired as the head coach of the Denver Broncos after the team fired Mike Shanahan.  McDaniels came in and immediately gutted the team.

He attempted to trade for QB Matt Cassel, and by doing so isolated star QB Jay Cutler.  McDaniels shipped Cutler out of town, and eventually did the same with star WR Brandon Marshall.

The rest is history as the Broncos collapsed down the stretch during his first season, and went 3-9 during his second season, before being let go by the team.

8. Lane Kiffin

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OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders looks on against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL game on September 28, 2008 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Career Record: 5-15

Lane Kiffin and Al Davis quickly became best friends after Kiffin was hired as coach of the Raiders in 2007.  Okay, that didn't happen, and in fact it was quite the opposite.

After a 4-12 season, Al Davis drew up a resignation letter for Kiffin which he refused to sign.  He remained the head coach heading into the 2008 season but, after a 1-3 start, Al Davis fired the coach.

Davis fired Kiffin for apparently bringing disgrace to the Oakland Raiders organization.  Al Davis has brought enough disgrace to the organization over the last ten years, so he certainly didn't need Kiffin around to add to Oakland's problems.

If it makes Al feel better, at least Oakland wasn't the only place where he was a disgrace, as he ditched Tennessee after one season to head west for USC.

7. Ray Handley

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18 Oct 1992: New York Giants head coach Ray Handley looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Rams won the game, 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport

Career Record: 14-18

The Ray Handley era was an absolute disaster for the New York Giants.  Handley was promoted to head coach after the team came off a Super Bowl win against the Buffalo Bills.

He is most known for choosing Jeff Hostetler over Phil Simms as the starting quarterback after a training camp battle.  This was a truly brilliant move as the Giants went from Super Bowl champions to finishing the season with an 8-8 record.

The worst part for the Giants is that they decided to give Handley the job over current New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick.

6. Cam Cameron

Career Record: 1-15

Cam Cameron was hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2007 following Nick Saban's departure to Alabama.

Cameron only lasted one season, and his team started the year 0-13 before defeating the Baltimore Ravens, who were led by rookie QB Troy Smith.

The 2007 Miami Dolphins were one of the worst teams in NFL history—unfortunately, someone has to take the fall, and that somebody is Cam Cameron.

5. Bobby Petrino

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 10: Head coach Bobby Petrino of the Atlanta Falcons looks on before playing the New York Jets at Giants Stadium August 10 2007 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Career Record: 3-10

Bobby Petrino is truly a disgrace to the NFL.  He quit mid-season and decided to inform his players via a note that he left in the locker room—such a gentleman.

In Petrino's defense, he was left with a horrible team after Michael Vick was suspended by the NFL for dog fighting accusations.

The Falcons were not expected to perform at a high level that season after Vick was dismissed from the team; however, Petrino quit on his team and quit in one of the most unprofessional manners ever seen on any level.

4. Marty Mornhinweg

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DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Marty Mornhinweg of the Detroit Lions yells on the sidelines during the game against the New Orleans Saints on September 29, 2002 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions won 26-21. (Photo by Darron R. Silva/

Career Record: 5-27

Marty Mornhinweg was hired as head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2001 and held the position for two horrible seasons.

To Mornhinweg's defense, he did not have a lot of talent to build on, however, he was also out-coached nearly every game.

Mornhinweg appeared to be out of his league as a head coach, and the deciding moment in his coaching career came when he decided not to take the ball first in overtime, but instead take the wind at his back.  Needless to say, that backfired and the Lions lost without ever touching the ball.

3. Rich Kotite

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24 Nov 1996: New York Jets head coach Rich Kotite looks on during a game against the Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills won the game, 35-10. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport

Career Record: 42-57

Rich Kotite's career record is not nearly as bad as a lot of others on this list, but that does not help strengthen his case.

Kotite's teams got worse nearly every season he led the charge.  He started off his head-coaching career going 10-6 and 11-5 with the Philadelphia Eagles, before seeing his teams fall off to 8-8 and 7-9 over the next two seasons.

He was dismissed as head coach of the Eagles in 1994, after the team started the season 7-2 and lost their remaining seven games.

Following his dismissal from the Eagles, he was hired as head coach of the New York Jets. 

The downward trend continued for Kotite when he got to New York, as he only spent two years as their head coach, finishing 3-13 and 1-15 in those seasons.

Being fired as the Jets head coach was the nail in the coffin for Kotite, as he has yet to be seen on a NFL sideline since.

2. Marion Campbell

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18 Sep 1988: Head coach Marion Campbell of the Atlanta Falcons looks on during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The Falcons won the game 34-17.

Career Record: 34-80

How Marion Campbell continued to land head-coaching jobs is probably one of the biggest mysteries in NFL history.

Campbell coached nine seasons as an NFL head coach and never once won more than six games in a season. 

He spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Philadelphia Eagles, and somehow returning to Atlanta.

His best years came as coach of the Eagles, where he was able to win six games in back to back seasons.

Campbell never once took a team to the playoffs but somehow managed to coach for nine seasons, making him the greatest con-artist the NFL has ever seen.

1. Rod Marinelli

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DETROIT - AUGUST 23: Head coach Rod Marinelli of the Detroit Lions looks on while playing the Cleveland Browns duirng a preseason NFL game on August 23, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Career Record: 10-38

Someone has to be the most worthless coach in NFL history and, unfortunately for Lions fans, it has to be one of their own.

Rod Marinelli coached the Detroit Lions from 2006-2008 and averaged just over three wins per season during his tenure.  While Marinelli has had a lot of success as a defensive coordinator, things did not go his way as a head coach.

Marinelli's best season as head coach secured him 70 percent of his victories as the Lions went 7-9 during the 2007 season.  However, they started the year 6-2 before collapsing down the stretch. 

The start was not too bad for Marinelli as he looked to be changing the tide in Detroit, as he won nine of his first 24 games in Detroit (nearly doubling Mornhinweg's win total).

Things crashed fast for Marinelli, as the team only had one win in his final 24 games as head coach and he was at the helm for the only 0-16 season in NFL history.

While Marinelli did not have the talent on his roster that most coaches have, someone has to take the fall for an 0-16 season, and Marinelli is that guy.