Worst decisions to fire a coach

[7DnBrnc53]

In 1991, the Bengals basically forced Wyche out at the end of the season, and brought in David Shula. Shula did look promising in his first three games (they started 2-0, and they almost beat the Pack in Week 3 before Favre saved the day), but then it was all downhill after that. Cincy didn't contend again until 2003.

[BD Sullivan]

In 1991, the Bengals basically forced Wyche out at the end of the season, and brought in David Shula. Shula did look promising in his first three games (they started 2-0, and they almost beat the Pack in Week 3 before Favre saved the day), but then it was all downhill after that. Cincy didn't contend again until 2003.

Being the Bengals, they tried to claim that Wyche had resigned--which would have allowed Cincy to avoid paying off the rest of his contract. Wyche quickly let everyone one know that he was fired.

[Bryan]

Bum Phillips, 1980 Oilers.

Phillips was fired because he never had an official "offensive coordinator", and the Oilers offensive rankings from 1981-1985 were 27th, 28th (aka "last), 24th, 23rd and 24th.

[jeckle_and_heckle]

Whether a decision is good or bad is often only clear in hindsight.

Cases in point:

- Jim Harbaugh's firing looks even worse now than it did when it happened.
- Similarly, Jimmy Johnson's work in Dallas has only risen in esteem as the Cowboys have barely sniffed the playoffs with Jones calling all the shots.
- When John Elway gave John Fox his walking papers after a successful tenure it seemed a head-scratcher at the time. Now it doesn't.

[7DnBrnc53]

Being the Bengals, they tried to claim that Wyche had resigned--which would have allowed Cincy to avoid paying off the rest of his contract. Wyche quickly let everyone one know that he was fired.

The beginning of the end of the Wyche tenure in Cincy may have been week four of the 1990 season. The Bengals went to Seattle, and (allegedly: from what I heard in the internet grapevine) a few of their players were involved in a sexual assault situation with a stripper. No charges were filed, and the team probably covered it up. However, there were players that weren't there anymore in successive seasons, and Brown may have used a losing season as an excuse to get rid of Wyche (he couldn't fire him after they made the playoffs the year before) because he may have held him responsible to a certain degree.

[sheajets]

Jets had an unlucky 1993 season where they showed signs of progress. The were royally screwed in Los Angeles on a Nick Bell last second 1 yard plunge where time should've expired (they also blew a 17-0 lead in that game). Nonetheless they should have won. Blew a 21-0 lead to the Eagles in the Eric Allen INT return game (somehow to Bubby Brister after Cunningham broke his leg) Should've beaten the Bills in arctic conditions but a Buffalo fumble well before crossing the plain and out of the endzone was curiously ruled a touchdown instead of a touchback. The late Cary Blanchard also missed 3 FG's. That team was really a 10-6 squad masquerading as 8-8. Didn't think Coslett deserved the boot but he got it anyway. Not that he was any great shakes afterwards

The next year Pete Carroll has them rolling along quite well. Upset win in Minnesota. Sweep the Buffalo Bills (which never happened back then) but then the Fake Spike. The psychological trauma of that loss lingered with them, though I don't recall them outright quitting on the season like they did under Bowles this year. Carroll was fired after just 1 year and we got Rich Kotite who did the worst coaching job I've ever seen.

[BD Sullivan]

The psychological trauma of that loss lingered with them

Hyperbole?

[sheajets]

The psychological trauma of that loss lingered with them

Hyperbole?

crushing psychological trauma

[7DnBrnc53]

Jets had an unlucky 1993 season where they showed signs of progress. The were royally screwed in Los Angeles on a Nick Bell last second 1 yard plunge where time should've expired (they also blew a 17-0 lead in that game). Nonetheless they should have won. Blew a 21-0 lead to the Eagles in the Eric Allen INT return game (somehow to Bubby Brister after Cunningham broke his leg) Should've beaten the Bills in arctic conditions but a Buffalo fumble well before crossing the plain and out of the endzone was curiously ruled a touchdown instead of a touchback. The late Cary Blanchard also missed 3 FG's. That team was really a 10-6 squad masquerading as 8-8. Didn't think Coslett deserved the boot but he got it anyway. Not that he was any great shakes afterwards

The next year Pete Carroll has them rolling along quite well. Upset win in Minnesota. Sweep the Buffalo Bills (which never happened back then) but then the Fake Spike. The psychological trauma of that loss lingered with them, though I don't recall them outright quitting on the season like they did under Bowles this year. Carroll was fired after just 1 year and we got Rich Kotite who did the worst coaching job I've ever seen.

In that Raider game, Ronnie Lott had a TD INT that he dropped as well. They were a few plays away from 11-5 and a possible AFC East Title (depending on the tie-breakers).

[rhickok1109]

The 49ers firing Jim Harbaugh. They were 46-82 in eight seasons before Harbaugh. After he arrived, they went 44-19 and went to three NFC championship games and a Super Bowl. Since his firing, they've gone 7-25 under two coaches in two seasons.

I don't know how you top that, one of the most boneheaded decisions of all time.

How about the Rams and John Robinson? His departure was never positioned as a "firing" but word has it one (according to articles in the LA Times) of the reasons for his exit was Georgia Frontiere didn't approve of Robinson getting a divorce, seemingly fond of his wife.

That sounds typical. She and Robert Irsay were among the flakiest owners in NFL history. There's a story in "The League" that some sportswriter speculated that the Bert Jones trade was so big that it must have been made by the owners, not the GMs.

Another owner responded, "It couldn't have happened that way, because Georgia never gets up before noon and by then Bob's too drunk to talk to anybody."