2021 Top 5 Head Coach Hot Seats

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Well, it's now time for my favorite game ... Ranking the head coaching hot seats coming into 2021. Some will cool off, but some will end up with major casualties.

1. I'm going with Matt Nagy in Chicago. It's now year 4 in Chicago, and he would have been fired last year had the NFL kept the old 12-team playoff format. Bears are looking worse this year, and only way his job gets saved is if Russell Wilson comes in to save the day.

2. Mike Zimmer - Gotta put him here only because after last year the Vikings have expectations of a rebound. Now unfortunately, I'm going to have to make a prediction that we will not like. That is that by the end of the season he will be off of this list mostly because he has rebuilt quite a few defenses over his career. But you better believe excuses are over this year.

3. Cliff Kingsbury - the Cardinals could do worse, but I still hold that he's not a good coach, and simply being in a competitive division is no excuse. He's going to need to win at least 9 games this year.

4. Dan Campbell - It might be his inaugural season in Detroit, but the way the higher ups are doing things there ... Might as well stick the fork in him now.

5. Zac Taylor - Tick tock man, better start winning and winning soon because unlike your predecessor, you're not going to get 16 years to do that

6. Mike McCarthy - fans are already unhappy with him

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Well, come to think of it now that this season is almost here, I will revamp my list a bit because I think there's several coaches who have moved up or down since the end of last season

5. Vic Fangio has to be in a win or die situation now. Now, how well the Broncos QB situation pans out this year or whether or not his defense improving to make up for the offense's shortfalls remains to be seen. But I don't think anything short of success will allow Fangio to stay around as the rumors are also very hot right now that the Broncos could have a new owner in 2022.

4. Matt Nagy - Nagy definitely is under heat for two lackluster finishes last year and the year before, and lucking into last year's 7th seed playoff spot is the only thing that saved him. One problem for him as well is right now he's refusing to make Justin Fields the starter and sticking with Andy Dalton. That may be conventional wisdom for this league, but delaying putting a special skills rookie in could end up costing you your job, and I think he will learn this the hard way.

3. Kliff Kingsbury - Kingsbury would have made the playoffs last year had Murray not gone down in the final game, but he's had one too many flops on other occasions as well that have now put him on the hot seat. I just have a feeling he's going to be out soon because 9-8 or something like that is probably about the height of what he can do.

2. Zac Taylor - a little patience may be warranted here given the development of Burrow and now replacing AJ Green. But so far Taylor has not proven he has the smarts and strategic mindset to be able to coach the team.

1. Mike McCarthy - Oh man it's still hard to believe that a HC who has a SB win and a street named after him in Green Bay has fallen this far. Jerry having his back will only last so long with the kind of decisions he's been making lately. I definitely gotta put him at the front of the hot seat list by week 1.

 

[longtimefan]

Well, come to think of it now that this season is almost here, I will revamp my list a bit because I think there's several coaches who have moved up or down since the end of last season

5. Vic Fangio has to be in a win or die situation now. Now, how well the Broncos QB situation pans out this year or whether or not his defense improving to make up for the offense's shortfalls remains to be seen. But I don't think anything short of success will allow Fangio to stay around as the rumors are also very hot right now that the Broncos could have a new owner in 2022.

4. Matt Nagy - Nagy definitely is under heat for two lackluster finishes last year and the year before, and lucking into last year's 7th seed playoff spot is the only thing that saved him. One problem for him as well is right now he's refusing to make Justin Fields the starter and sticking with Andy Dalton. That may be conventional wisdom for this league, but delaying putting a special skills rookie in could end up costing you your job, and I think he will learn this the hard way.

3. Kliff Kingsbury - Kingsbury would have made the playoffs last year had Murray not gone down in the final game, but he's had one too many flops on other occasions as well that have now put him on the hot seat. I just have a feeling he's going to be out soon because 9-8 or something like that is probably about the height of what he can do.

2. Zac Taylor - a little patience may be warranted here given the development of Burrow and now replacing AJ Green. But so far Taylor has not proven he has the smarts and strategic mindset to be able to coach the team.

1. Mike McCarthy - Oh man it's still hard to believe that a HC who has a SB win and a street named after him in Green Bay has fallen this far. Jerry having his back will only last so long with the kind of decisions he's been making lately. I definitely gotta put him at the front of the hot seat list by week 1.

Jerry stuck with garrett for to long.. Think he gives mm same amount

 

[I asked LT to delete my acct]

And so he should. I`m tired of this negative crap with MM. He won one SB......for us. Yes at the end it was time for him to move on but the man deserves some respect.

 

[longtimefan]

I Said it last year.

It was a pandemic, he didnt get to do any real coaching until August?

Then lost a very talentened qb early in the season..didnt Dak lead league in a lot of stats b4 the injury?

2020 in my eyes shouldnt be held against him to much

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Which means with a healthy team this year he'll have no excuses.

 

[ARPackFan]

Jerry stuck with garrett for to long.. Think he gives mm same amount

Jerry will be 79 this October. He's still unpredictable as an owner but I don't see him giving any coach 10 years to turn the Cowboys around with an opportunity to win another SB before he takes a dirt nap. I think MM is safe this year provided they are in the hunt for a playoff berth late in the year.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

This, the bar will be much higher on MM, and Cowboys fans and the media aren't going to tolerate another season like last year. 8 or 9 wins ... Maybe he's safe playoffs or no. Anything less though and I think he'll be walking.

I think Zimmer has to make the playoffs, or at least the Vikes are supposed to be improved on paper that expectations are up on them to do so. He has had Zigi's support so far, but I gotta think it's going to wane dramatically if he only wins 7 or 8 games this year.

Campbell in Detroit and Culley in Houston very well could be one and done, even if the problems come from higher up in their organizations. Those two teams are deplete of talent but count on the owners and GMs scapegoating these two HCs.

And I realize Jon Gruden's name always comes up when the hot seat is mentioned but ... He will not be going anywhere the way it's looking in LV.

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

I'm not gonna give you five, but I'm gonna give you a guy who I think is unbelievably hot that no one is talking about. Mike Tomlin. 2019 Pittsburgh was under .500 2020 they start 11-0 and including the Wildcard loss they go 1-5 through their final 6. Granted Pittsburgh has notoriously NOT fired coaches, but I think Tomlin is gone if the team has either an under .500 season or another epic collapse this year.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

I definitely think he could be gone once Rothlisberger retires, which could be coming very soon, unless the Steelers somehow hit the moneyball with the next guy. And it won't be with Mason Rudolph.

Sean Payton is another coach who isn't quite in hot water yet, but his fate will be tied to the QB. Saints claim Winston is a new man, but they're going to have to do a lot to prove it.

 

[Mondio]

Tomlin just signed a contract extension last year. I doubt his seat is even turned on, let alone getting turned up. The Steelers are about stability. he's a good coach. They understand ebbs, flows and transitions. I wouldn't expect them to start knee jerking like everyone else all of a sudden.

 

[Sanguine camper]

MM hasn't been able to show that he can win let alone field a competitive team without a HOF qb. Yeah his team was decimated by injuries last season but his teams are notoriously hurt all the time. I don't know what it is, but his seasonal injury mess must have something to do with coaching.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

MM hasn't been able to show that he can win let alone field a competitive team without a HOF qb. Yeah his team was decimated by injuries last season but his teams are notoriously hurt all the time. I don't know what it is, but his seasonal injury mess must have something to do with coaching.

He also ties his wagon to ... Well either diminishing defensive coordinators like Dom Capers, or just outright bad ones like Mike Nolan last year.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Tomlin just signed a contract extension last year. I doubt his seat is even turned on, let alone getting turned up. The Steelers are about stability. he's a good coach. They understand ebbs, flows and transitions. I wouldn't expect them to start knee jerking like everyone else all of a sudden.

Wonder how long it was for though.

I realize Tomlin often gets the beat-on here without people understanding that coaching changes are rare occurrences in Pittsburgh. I don't think he's in trouble this year yet because it's likely they have another winning season from where things stand. But think about this.

I don't believe any of Tomlin's successful seasons have ever come without Rothlisberger being behind center. Rothlisberger is now 39 and is rapidly heading to retirement easily within a year or two. The Steelers may get lucky and replace him with another young stud, but right now they definitely don't seem to have any viable plan to replace him. If they don't strike gold on another QB, things could get pretty messy there for Tomlin.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

MM hasn't been able to show that he can win let alone field a competitive team without a HOF qb. Yeah his team was decimated by injuries last season but his teams are notoriously hurt all the time. I don't know what it is, but his seasonal injury mess must have something to do with coaching.

Might depend on whether or not he has a say in hiring the strength and conditioning coach. If so, then yeah.

I will say this though, Sean Payton put Montgomery back at WR and made MM look stupid for having him removed in the first place.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Tomorrow Zac Taylor will need to be fired. Hopefully that early game gets awful ratings in the Green Bay and Wisconsin markets to send Fox a message that residents there do not want to see a stinko coach in Cincy give the Vikes a cupcake win. Fire his butt at halftime!!!

 

[ARPackFan]

...and moving up quickly - Urban Myer who did not fly back so he could see his grandkids. This must be his grand daughter sitting on his lap telling him what she wants for Christmas..

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[El Guapo]

What's interesting is the coaches that have cooled off their seats. Nagy, Zimmer and Campbell are still there. If any of those three keep their job I think that it's Zimmer.

Kingsbury, Taylor, and McCarty's teams are playing well so far. Vic Fangio is riding on the play of Bridgewater for better or worse.

Urban Meyer will get a pass from Shad Khan because that franchise is struggling.

 

[milani]

Well, it's now time for my favorite game ... Ranking the head coaching hot seats coming into 2021. Some will cool off, but some will end up with major casualties.

1. I'm going with Matt Nagy in Chicago. It's now year 4 in Chicago, and he would have been fired last year had the NFL kept the old 12-team playoff format. Bears are looking worse this year, and only way his job gets saved is if Russell Wilson comes in to save the day.

2. Mike Zimmer - Gotta put him here only because after last year the Vikings have expectations of a rebound. Now unfortunately, I'm going to have to make a prediction that we will not like. That is that by the end of the season he will be off of this list mostly because he has rebuilt quite a few defenses over his career. But you better believe excuses are over this year.

3. Cliff Kingsbury - the Cardinals could do worse, but I still hold that he's not a good coach, and simply being in a competitive division is no excuse. He's going to need to win at least 9 games this year.

4. Dan Campbell - It might be his inaugural season in Detroit, but the way the higher ups are doing things there ... Might as well stick the fork in him now.

5. Zac Taylor - Tick tock man, better start winning and winning soon because unlike your predecessor, you're not going to get 16 years to do that

6. Mike McCarthy - fans are already unhappy with him

Kingsbury already has 4 of the 9 needed you say. And McCarthy does not need fan appreciation. In Dallas you work for Jerry Jones. Now in Detroit being 0-4 is par for the course. They will change coaches until one wins.

 

[ARPackFan]

Well, it's now time for my favorite game ... Ranking the head coaching hot seats coming into 2021. Some will cool off, but some will end up with major casualties.

1. I'm going with Matt Nagy in Chicago. It's now year 4 in Chicago, and he would have been fired last year had the NFL kept the old 12-team playoff format. Bears are looking worse this year, and only way his job gets saved is if Russell Wilson comes in to save the day.

2. Mike Zimmer - Gotta put him here only because after last year the Vikings have expectations of a rebound. Now unfortunately, I'm going to have to make a prediction that we will not like. That is that by the end of the season he will be off of this list mostly because he has rebuilt quite a few defenses over his career. But you better believe excuses are over this year.

3. Cliff Kingsbury - the Cardinals could do worse, but I still hold that he's not a good coach, and simply being in a competitive division is no excuse. He's going to need to win at least 9 games this year.

4. Dan Campbell - It might be his inaugural season in Detroit, but the way the higher ups are doing things there ... Might as well stick the fork in him now.

5. Zac Taylor - Tick tock man, better start winning and winning soon because unlike your predecessor, you're not going to get 16 years to do that

6. Mike McCarthy - fans are already unhappy with him

Time to revisit this with Black Monday a couple of days away.

Two are already gone that most of us didn't see coming at the beginning of the season. I think once the dust settles there is going to be at least 6 openings. Taylor (Bengals) and Campbell (Lions) are safe. Lions have a lack of talent but are playing hard.

1. Jon Gruden
2. Urban Meyer
3. Vic Fangio
4. Zimmer
5. Nagy
6. Brian Flores (Surprise Firing)
7. Joe Judge

Looks like Nagy, Zimmer and Fangio will be coaching their last game and there will be some others. Possibly Culley (Texans), Judge (Giants) and/or Stefanski (Browns)? What about Carroll (Seahawks) or McCarthy / Kingsbury after a bad outcome on WC weekend?

We really should do a coaching dead-pool next season.

Updates:
Broncos fire Vic Fangio 1/9/22

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

Time to revisit this with Black Monday a couple of days away.

Two are already gone that most of us didn't see coming at the beginning of the season. I think once the dust settles there is going to be at least 6 openings. Taylor (Bengals) and Campbell (Lions) are safe. Lions have a lack of talent but are playing hard.

1. Jon Gruden
2. Urban Meyer
3. Vic Fangio

Looks like Nagy, Zimmer and Fangio will be coaching their last game and there will be some others. Possibly Culley (Texans), Judge (Giants) and/or Stefanski (Browns)? What about Carroll (Seahawks) or McCarthy / Kingsbury after a bad outcome on WC weekend?

We really should do a coaching dead-pool next season.

Updates:
Broncos fire Vic Fangio 1/9/22

I'm still thinking Tomlin in Pittsburgh

 

[ARPackFan]

I'm still thinking Tomlin in Pittsburgh

He was given a three year extension through 2024 in the spring. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a mutual parting of the ways but don't see him being fired.

 

[Mondio]

Tomlin? Why? Because how he well he held a very injured team with a very old immobile quarterback together and is in a fight for a playoff spot?

They suddenly don’t like winning in Pittsburgh why would they even consider firing Tomlin? Easily one of the top five coaches in the league

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

This was posted before I knew they made the playoffs so I'm off of that.

 

[milani]

I'm still thinking Tomlin in Pittsburgh

Think McCarthy and Kingsbury stay no matter what. Making a Steinbrenner like firing never fares well with the fan base. Tomlin probably stays. Until he has a horrific season I do not see him going.