In the most treacherous day for hot seat NFL coaches Black Monday as it’s known across the NFL claimed the jobs of seven NFL head coaches. Most of the jobs lost were very much anticipated while Arizona’s Ken Whisenhunt and Chicago’s Lovie Smith saw the strong starts to their seasons end with a huge thud.
Here’s the entire list of coaches who lost their job and what could be next for them:
Andy Reid (Philadelphia Eagles):
The NFL’s longest tenured head coach didn’t escape the wrath of Black Monday after another disappointing season in Philadelphia. Reid spent 14 seasons with the Eagles which included nine playoff appearances and one Super Bowl appearances.
What’s next: Reid saw the writing on the wall even before the end of the season and reiterated that he wants to continue coaching in 2013 despite probably needing to take a season off. And because of his overall success in the NFL Reid shouldn’t have a problem finding work next season.
Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears):
After a 10 win season that saw the Bears just miss the playoffs Lovie Smith perhaps was the biggest surprise in the round of firings Monday. He finishes his time with the Bears with an 81-63 regular season record and one Super Bowl appearance over nine seasons.
What’s next:Smith definitely still has a place in the NFL as a head coach. In fact a fresh start will probably do him some good.
Ken Whisenhunt (Arizona Cardinals):
Things looked promising for Whisenhunt at the beginning of his time with the Cardinals, especially at the start of this season. However with no quarterback and a roster that lacked any true depth Whisenhunt met his demise along with GM Rod Graves who was also very much part of the problem.
What’s next: Finishing 45-51 with the Cardinals and losing 1o of the past 11 games of the season a team could take a flyer on Whisenhunt as a head coach. However an offensive coordinator position with a new NFL team seems like the more likely scenario.
Norv Turner (San Diego Chargers):
Turner’s firing was a long-time coming and probably should’ve taken place a couple seasons ago. He was heavily criticized in San Diego by the fans and media alike but remains one of the better offensive minds in the league.
What’s next: If Turner doesn’t get another head coaching job he seems a shoe-in for an OC role in the league. Rumors are the Dallas Cowboys are looking for a new offensive coordinator and you wonder if Norv could land in Big D? Tony Romo could probably benefit.
Chan Gailey (Buffalo Bills):
For the most part the Bills were a complete mess that wasn’t entirely Gailey’s fault. He did a nice job turning Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller into serviceable weapons and was innovative at times with an offense that could be explosive.
What’s next: Gailey works well with mobile type QB’s so teams looking for a new offensive direction could be calling Gailey. It’s unlikely though he picks up anywhere else as a head coach.
Pat Shurmur (Cleveland Browns):
Despite Shurmur being pretty vanilla in his play calling he really didn’t have much of a chance with a Cleveland roster that lacked overall talent. It also didn’t help that the AFC North regularly dined on the scraps that put together the Browns.
What’s next: If Shurmur wants to remain in the NFL he can’t be picky. A head coaching position in the league isn’t in his future and if that’s what he’s looking for he may have to head to the college level. However Shurmur may find work in NFL as a QB coach or assistant.
Romeo Crennel (Kansas City Chiefs):
Much like Shurmur in Cleveland, Crennel didn’t have much to work with after taking over for Todd Haley. However after a couple of chances as a head coach in the league Crennel may have to resort to less demanding positions.
What’s next: Crennel is a good guy and players love him. I’d expect to see the veteran coach pick up somewhere as a defensive coordinator.
