Tony Sparano, Leslie Frazer and 4 NFL Coaches That Must Be Fired

Tony Sparano, Leslie Frazer, Ken Whisenhunt and Jim Caldwell all need to be removed as the head coaches of their football teams.

The NFL season is far enough along that we could start seeing some coaches losing their jobs. Many times, NFL coaches aren't fired based solely on their record. The play on the field and competitiveness is the most important factor.

A lot of times you will see a coach lose his job because of a failure to meet expectations. When the season begins, owners and management have a goal in mind. If that goal isn't reached, you can expect to see that coach on the hot seat.

The following slides are a quick run down of several coaches who need to be fired sooner rather than later.

Tony Sparano: Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins were not expected to contend for a playoff spot, but they were also not expected to start the season 0-6. This is not just a winless team, but a very bad winless team. The Dolphins are not playing competitive football. This team has been embarrassed, especially during last week's collapse.

The easiest way for a coach to lose their job is to oversee a late-game collapse. It is only a matter of time until Sparano loses the locker room. Once this happens, the play on the field will only get uglier. One could argue, this Miami team has already abandoned their coaching staff.

Sparano was put in an almost impossible situation. He was charged with running a team that knew he was on his way out. During the offseason, the Dolphins had a very public courtship of Jim Harbaugh.

Leslie Frazier: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier will be given more room to breathe, as he is only in his first season as head coach. However, this football team is not playing well and the head coach has made some questionable decisions.

Many feel that Frazier was the one that pushed to acquire Donovan McNabb, a decision that didn't pan out. The rest of the season now rests on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Ponder is going to have his ups and downs, especially facing the tough NFC North defenses.

Frazier will likely keep his job, but a terrible end to the season could change his job status.

Ken Whisenhunt: Arizona Cardinals

This has been a very disappointing season for Ken Whisenhunt and the Arizona Cardinals. They expected to contend for the NFC West title, but that now appears unlikely.

Head coaches that are unable to live up to expectations are always on the hot seat.

The Cardinals' situation is interesting, as they had a shot to win a few games with a last-minute drive. However, newly acquired quarterback Kevin Kolb was unable to perform in the clutch. The expectations in Arizona are due to that acquisition of Kolb. However, he hasn't played at the level many expected of him.

Whisenhunt needs to right the ship or he could find himself without a job.

Jim Caldwell: Indianapolis Colts

It is rare to see one injury completely dismantle a football team, even if that injury is to a star quarterback. Everyone knew the Colts offense would struggle without Peyton Manning, but nobody expected to team to play this bad.

There are still a lot of talented players on this Colts football team. They have wide receivers Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, and a stable of decent running backs including Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and Delone Carter. The defense wasn't expected to be great, but still boasts pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

The talent on this team is what makes their play even more disappointing. They have just looked out of sync and terrible. Losing 62-7 versus the New Orleans Saints is a low point for this horrific season.