Image Credit (Rich Barnes / USA Today)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
The NFL Season is getting closer and closer and I am hyped up. Last year there were a ton of coaches that got fired. I thought to myself before training camp began, who are the coaches that are on the Hot Seat entering the season. This may be a little too early to think but I have decided to give the Top 5 coaches who are on the Hot Seat.
Honorable Mention (The potential One and Done Coaches): Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders, Dennis Allen - New Orleans Saints, and Lovie Smith - Houston Texans
I don’t like to include One and Done coaches on here as unless the coach is as incompetent as Urban Meyer and Freddie Kitchens were, coaches, should not be fired after one season. But with the insane amount of coaches hired this season it would not shock me if one of those coaches was fired after one season. So I decided to mention potential coaches who could be one and done and I have debated between three coaches candidates. Those three coaches are Dennis Allen of the New Orleans Saints, Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Lovie Smith of the Houston Texans.
Now many have known from the past few articles and podcasts I have been a part of, in I not being a fan of the Raiders hiring McDaniels as the head coach. I have good reasons too and before people say, no it's not because McDaniels was a part of the New England Patriots coaching staff do I hate this hire. I just am not a fan that the Raiders would hire a coach like McDaniels who has a ton of controversy that surrounded him mainly due to his time in Denver and screwing the Indianapolis Colts years ago and pulling out of the head coaching job he agreed to. There is no denying how talented the team is and there is no denying it, but I am just concerned that McDaniels controversy will follow him to Las Vegas and affect that locker room. But, I think the Raiders talented team will carry McDaniels to around a .500 record and I don’t see the Raiders firing him, unless the controversy gets to Urban Meyer level of bad.
Dennis Allen is an interesting one because he was mainly promoted to the job because the Saints had no choice. Sean Payton’s decision to step down as the head coach was a late one. I don’t blame the Saints for doing it, but I have concerns with Allen as the head coach mainly due to his awful tenure as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders. But to me, Allen is better as a defensive coordinator than he would be as a head coach. I can see the Saints disappointing this year being the worst team in the NFL and the Saints part ways with Allen, even with the amount of talent on this team.
The one that I could see happen the most out of the bunch is Lovie Smith. Especially as he did not have great tenures with coaching the Buccaneers and the University of Illinois. To be honest, Smith wasn’t the guy they wanted after they failed to bring in Josh McCown to be the head coach of the Texans. It is obvious that this season is going to be a dumpster fire unless Davis Mills once again impresses like he did last year. Honestly, Mills was solid last year even with the terrible season by the team.
I will ask one thing: Do you trust this organization to properly handle Smith as the head coach long term? It would not shock me if they one and done him for reasons like they did with David Culley. But this team has a bunch of bad PR and it would go deeper if they do that yet again firing another coach after one season. It really stinks because I love Lovie Smith the person as I have rarely heard a bad thing that has been said about him. I want him to succeed as a head coach in the NFL and I wish him luck this season coaching the Texans.
5. Kliff Kingsbury - Arizona Cardinals
I don’t completely hate Kingsbury, but something is very fishy with him here. He has strong starts almost every year, but when it comes to the second half of the season his coaching and teams just fall apart. It is kind of like a pitcher who has an off-and-on game, whereas for Kingsbury he has off-and-on months. Who knows how Kyler Murray and Kingsbury’s relationship is. I would have ranked Kingsbury higher, but for some reason, Arizona decided to extend him and Steve Keim to a new contract? I doubt he lasts this new contract and I am not sure his job is safe for next season unless he does better in the second half of the season.
4. Pete Carroll - Seattle Seahawks
I contemplated putting him out of the Top 5 as I think out of respect the Seahawks will allow him to leave with dignity by retiring. He deserves it, that is for sure as it would be a bad PR move for the Seahawks if they let the greatest coach this franchise has ever had let go on bad terms. But it is time for the Seahawks to part ways with Carroll. Carroll is turning 71 in September and is not the long-term coach for this team. I am shocked with the way last season went that he is still the head coach of the Seahawks. At this point, it is not an if, but when the Seahawks part ways with Pete Caroll.
3. Frank Reich - Indianapolis Colts
Reich was somebody who did not come out well last season after that disgraceful Week 18 game against the Jaguars. Plus the Wentz experiment did not work out and he was the main person who voiced bringing Wentz to the Colts. That absolutely goes against him. I am still a Frank Reich guy and if it were me I don’t think he is going anywhere for now, but he is where Mike Zimmer was last season where he needs to make the playoffs in order for him to fully save his job for next season.
2. Mike McCarthy - Dallas Cowboys
Is there really much to say here that is not said. The Cowboys have talent on offense and defense. It is a shame that in the 2022 NFL Draft a football team can’t draft a coach. This team has looked super disorganized since McCarthy has taken over as the head coach for this team. If Dallas immediately gets to a slow start and disappoints it would not shock me if McCarthy is gone. He needs to win the NFC East or make the playoffs to completely save his job. Even though he will continue to be the main problem. I feel for the players as there are players on this team that are extremely talented but held up due to bad coaching from the Cowboys.
1. Matt Rhule - Carolina Panthers
Out of all the choices of coaches who could be fired, Rhule has been the consensus to be the Hottest on the seat to be fired. The only reason why he was not fired is due to the massive contract the Panthers signed him to. He has not managed players well and the schemes have been a mess. Rhule even at times looks lost when he is coaching this team. Want to know something telling and this is partially Matt Rhule’s fault, It’s been nearly 3 years since Carolina hired Rhule and this hire was made to help rebuild the team. I don’t see where the rebuilding has begun for Carolina at all since Rhule came in. I would not be shocked if Carolina fires Matt Rhule and decides to yet again blow it up with this team. I wish him luck because there are things to like with Carolina but it would not shock me if Rhule is the 1st coach gone at the end of the season. By the way fun fact, Matt Rhule was 0-6 when his team played against teams that had coaches that got fired or stepped down last season.