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Every team in the National Football League has one critical position that doesn’t appear on the stat sheet or the playing field: the head coach. They are the strategists, the motivators, the decision-makers. A great head coach can turn a good team into a dynasty, while a bad one can drive a franchise into the ground. Despite the numerous inspiring figures who have left indelible marks in the NFL’s annals, some coaches have unfortunately etched their names for all the wrong reasons. This is an exploration of the most disappointing coaching tenures in NFL history.
1. Hue Jackson Record: 11-44-1
Hue Jackson’s stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns is one of the most disastrous in NFL history. Taking the reins in 2016, he won just one game in his first two seasons, culminating in the Browns’ infamous 0-16 campaign in 2017. Jackson’s game management and decision-making were routinely questioned, and his inability to foster growth in young talent hampered the team’s development. Despite having talented players like Baker Mayfield, Jackson could not turn the ship around. He was fired midway through the 2018 season, leaving behind a woeful .205 winning percentage.
2. Urban Meyer Record: 2-11
Heralded as a transformative hire for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Urban Meyer’s entry into the NFL was met with high expectations due to his exceptional success in the college ranks. However, Meyer’s tenure quickly spiraled into a series of controversies, questionable decisions, and poor performances. From reportedly alienating his players and staff with his conduct to failing to make a successful transition from college coaching schemes to professional strategies, Meyer was out of his depth. His departure after just 13 games makes his stint one of the shortest and most underwhelming in history.
3. Bobby Petrino Record: 3-10
Bobby Petrino’s tenure with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 was as brief as it was disastrous. He was hired with the hope that his offensive genius could maximize Michael Vick’s potential. However, with Vick’s legal troubles rendering him unavailable, Petrino was left with a talent-deficient roster. His lack of adaptability and inability to instill confidence within the organization were glaring. Petrino infamously resigned before the season ended, leaving a note to his players — a move widely criticized and a fitting end to a woeful stint.
4. Lane Kiffin Record: 5-15
At 31, Lane Kiffin became the youngest head coach in NFL history when he took over the Oakland Raiders in 2007. The hire was a gamble that ultimately did not pay off. Kiffin struggled to implement his vision within the organization, clashing frequently with maverick owner Al Davis. The team’s on-field performance did not help either, with Kiffin managing just five victories in his 20 games in charge. His public dismissal by Davis only four games into his second season was a fitting end to a tumultuous tenure.
5. Tom Cable Record: 17-27
Succeeding Kiffin in Oakland was Tom Cable, who had his share of issues during his tenure from 2008-2010. While Cable had a few bright spots, including leading the Raiders to their first non-losing season since 2002, his coaching tenure was largely defined by off-field controversies and an inability to return the Raiders to their former glory. Despite his longevity, Cable’s lackluster winning percentage and a stagnant offense ultimately led to his dismissal.
6. Bert Bell Record: 10-46-2
Before becoming NFL Commissioner, Bert Bell was a co-owner and head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1936-1941. His coaching tenure was marked by consistent failure and frustration, as Bell managed just ten wins in his 58 games in charge. Under Bell, the Eagles never finished better than third in their division, solidifying his status as one of the least successful coaches in NFL history.
7. Chip Kelly Record: 28-35
Chip Kelly’s arrival in the NFL was highly anticipated, given his success at the University of Oregon. However, his time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers from 2013-2016 was largely disappointing. While his first two seasons in Philadelphia showed promise, Kelly’s overbearing control and inability to adapt his high-paced offense to the professional game led to diminishing returns. His dismissal from both the Eagles and the 49ers within the span of a year highlighted his inability to replicate his collegiate success in the NFL.
8. Matt Patricia Record: 13-29-1
Matt Patricia arrived in Detroit in 2018 with a New England Patriots pedigree and high expectations. His tenure with the Lions was marked by a failure to develop a strong defense, despite being a defensive-minded coach, and an inability to inspire consistent performances from a talented roster. Patricia’s record over nearly three seasons was well below average, and his abrasive personality reportedly led to a divided locker room. The Lions moved on from Patricia during the 2020 season, signaling the end of a disappointing era.
9. Steve Spurrier Record: 12-20
Steve Spurrier, a successful college coach at the University of Florida, took over the Washington Football Team (then known as the Redskins) in 2002. Spurrier’s attempt to implement a pass-heavy, college-style offense in the NFL was met with little success. His two-year tenure was marked by quarterback controversy, an underperforming roster, and a lack of competitive edge. Spurrier resigned after just two seasons, leaving behind one of the more forgettable coaching tenures in NFL history.
10. Adam Gase Record: 32-48
Known as a quarterback whisperer due to his work with Peyton Manning in Denver, Adam Gase’s head coaching stints with the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets did not live up to expectations. From 2016-2020, Gase struggled to develop consistency on offense, and his relationships with key players often came into question. Despite flashes of potential, his teams underachieved, making his coaching tenure a substantial letdown.
The NFL, like any professional sports league, is a result-oriented business. While these coaches may have had the best intentions and worked tirelessly to build winning teams, their records and impacts on their respective franchises rank them among the worst in NFL history. They serve as stark reminders that success at other levels or in different roles does not guarantee triumph as an NFL head coach.
NFL FAQs
How do you play football survival pool?
Players pick one team each week they think will win the game outright. They may only pick a team ONCE per season, meaning you can't pick the same team twice in one season. If their pick is correct, the player survives another week and continues to play. An incorrect pick eliminates the player from the contest entirely. This is sometimes called an elimination or suicide pool. The last person standing wins.
How to make a football pool?
A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!
How to run a weekly football pool?
In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
What is a football survivor pool?
In a Football Survivor Pool, players choose one team weekly they think will win. Usually, a team can be picked one time per season. Picks are made "straight up," no spreads necessary. If a pick is correct, members survive another week. An incorrect pick eliminates the player, unless a mulligan is used.
How does a football pool work?
Football pools are games of skill played among a group of people. There are a variety of pool types to fit every players needs, from casual to competitive. Pool commissioners can set up pools manually, or use a hosting service like RunYourPool whiel still customizing your own settings. Some examples include NFL Squares, NFL Survivor, NFL Pick 'Em, and Playoff Brackets.
What is an NFL pickem pool?
In an NFL pick’em pool, simply pick the outcome of each NFL game throughout the season. You can pick straight up winners or losers, or pick each game against the spread.
How to play a football pool?
The way one plays a football pool varies on the game type. For example, in Survivor, you pick one team to win each week and can't pick that team again. Guess wrong and you lose. Another example is Pick'em Pools in which you simply pick every game each week.
How does a fantasy football pool work?
Fantasy football pools don’t involve a traditional fantasy football draft. You can have as many members in your pool as you’d like, meaning no more 12 or 14 team limits! You pick a new lineup of players each week, and once you use a player once, you can’t use them again for the rest of the season.
What is a fantasy football pool?
A fantasy football pool is similar to a traditional fantasy football league but without the draft. Pick a new lineup each week, and once you use a player, you can’t use them for the rest of the season. Your players will receive points based on their in-game stats, and the member with the most points at the end of the season is the winner.
What is a football pool?
"Football Pool" is a broad term for a group of people competitively guessing the outcome of one or more football games. There are many types of formats, each assigning winners differently. They can be played informally between friends or through a more formalized system. They are often considered a great alternative to fantasy football given the ease of playing, although there are fantasy football pools as well.
How do football pool squares work?
There are different kinds of football square pools. Most have a 10x10 grid with one team for the rows and columns. In an attempt to win, participants select a square where they believe the last digit number of each team's score will intersect at the end of each quarter, and the game's end.
How do you play football squares pools?
To play a football squares pool, you're going to want to pick the squares with the best odds. As winners are determined by the point totals at the end of each quarter, try to consider options where scores are most common. Some of the most popular squares include 7-3, 7-0, 7-7, and 0-0. Numbers divisible by seven are good starting points.
How many squares in a football pool?
In a traditional football squares pool, a grid is sectioned off into 100 squares with 10 columns and 10 rows. This accounts for a direct relationship between each possible digit from 0 to 9 on both the X and Y axis. For smaller square grids like 5x5, multiple numbers can be assigned to each column and row.
How to play squares football pools?
Football squares are played by creating a grid, in which Team 1 takes the column and Team 2 the rows. In some cases, participants may claim as many squares as they like. In others, commissioners limit them to one. At the quarter times and end of the game, the winner is decided at the point the scores final digit intersect.
What is a football squares pool?
Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
How do you play football credits pool?
In the credits format, all players start with the same number of credits. Players make picks each week by risking a certain number of credits on games, assigning more credits to the picks with a higher confidence level. Members receive double the credits risked for each win. The member with the most credits at the end of the season wins.
What is a football credits pool?
In Football Credits Pools, players start with the same number of credits. They then make picks each week by risking a number of credits on games, assigning more to the picks they have more confidence in getting right. Members double credits risked for each win. The member with the highest credits at the end of the season wins.
How to run a football pool?
How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
How do you play football confidence pool?
A football confidence pool is played straight up, not with a point spread. Not only do members pick the winning teams, they must back up their picks by giving them a relative confidence ranking. Your score reflects the number of confidence points given to winning teams. So if your confidence for a team winning is '1', then you can only win one point at most. If your confidence for a team winning is '5', then you can win five points for a win. The member with the most credits at the end wins.
What is a football confidence pool?
"Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning.
How do you play football margin pool?
Margin pools are an NFL pool format that rewards members for picking a winning team each week. Pool commissioners can decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. When a commissioner chooses the point spread option, this format is often referred to as an NFL Underdog Pool.
What is a football margin pool?
In a Football Margin Pool, you are awarded points for picking a winning team. Pool commissioners get to decide whether they award points equal to a winning teams margin of victory or the point spread for that game. The player with the most points at the end of the season wins.
How do you play football 33 point pool?
The football 33 pool format is a casual pool where members are each assigned an NFL team (these pools are 32 members max, as there are 32 NFL teams). Members win when their team scores 33 points. Options for changing the target score, or having the closest to the target win each week is also available.
What is a football 33 point pool?
In the football 33 pool format, each member is assigned a unique NFL team (32 members max). A member will win when their team scores 33 points. This is a casual pool where you can change the target score or the option to have the closest to the target that week win.
How to run a weekly football pool?
In order to run a football pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like Survivor or Pick'Em. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
What is an NFL Playoff bracket pool?
NFL Playoff Bracket pools are simple NFL pool formats where members pick every round of the playoffs before they start in an attempt to predict every match up correctly. It's optional to configure a multiplier for each round, or add a tiebreaker option of total points in the Super Bowl.
How to make a football pool?
A football pool generally requires the creation of a shareable spreadsheet (like Google Sheets) so that members may pick teams. Then depending on the game type, creators must use several kinds of formulas (e.g. CountIF), data validation, and conditional formatting. Or, you can just use football pool hosting service like RunYourPool where we do all the work for you!
How to set up a football pool?
To set up a football pool, you'll need to first choose a pool type like Survivor or Pick'em. Then, you'll need to set the ground rules. As pool commissioner, you'll enforce these rules and make sure the game runs smoothly throughout the season. Many commissioners use pool hosting sites like RunYourPool to make it easier and more engaging.
What is a football power ranking playoff pool?
In a power ranking playoff pool, members rank all 12 NFL teams competing in the playoffs from strongest (12 points) to weakest (1 point). Picks are made only ONCE before any games begin. Members are awarded the number of points assigned to a team when they win. Commissioners can optionally set up a point multiplier for each playoff round.
What is a football confidence pool?
"Football Confidence Pool" refers to how you rank the teams that you think will win each week. For example, in the NFL, there are often 16 games weekly. In this scenario, you would rank each game from 16 to 1, based on the your confidence in that team winning. This is similar to the Playoff Pool Power Ranking, just less teams.
How to run a football pool?
How you decide to run a football pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a football playoff precision pool?
In a playoff precision pool, members attempt to pick the winner of every playoff game each week. You can decide if it’s straight up or on a point spread picks, but point totals are also added. Points are awarded for correct picks AND for how close to the correct combined point total they were.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
What is a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool?
A Super Bowl Prop Bet Pool is a fun and thrilling way to compete against friends and family during the big game! It's a simple questionaire of prop betting questions revolving around the Super Bowl, and whoever earns the most points based off correct answers wins!
How does a Super Bowl Prop Bets Pool work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
What is a football Super Bowl Squares pool?
Also called Grid, Block, or Box Pools, Football Squares Pools can be played with any single game, but are most popular during the Super Bowl. Pool members claim squares on a 25, 50, or 100-square grid by putting their information in the square. Game scores are matched to the winning square(s), usually with winners being determined every quarter.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How to read a football pool sheet?
In Squares formats, football pool sheets include a grid, where one team is the column and one is the row. Winners are determined at the end of each quarter when the last number in the team’s score (on each side) is matched to the numbers on the grid, and the intersecting square wins.
