Being a head coach of an NFL team is by no means an easy job, as the majority of coaches don't keep their jobs after the first few years. However, a handful of coaches in NFL history didn't merely quickly lose their jobs, they failed miserably at them. So here are the 7 worst NFL head coaches of the past decade:
Urban Meyer: 2021 Jaguars
After being given full autonomy of the Jaguars, the best QB Prospect in 10 years, Urban Meyer fumbled his first and only NFL head-coaching job in disastrous fashion. Meyer's 13-game tenure ranks as the second-shortest in NFL history, and rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled mightily during year 1 in Jacksonville.
In addition to the Jaguars' abysmal play on the field, Urban Meyer's awful head coaching job was marred by scandals off the field. From the Columbus bar fiasco, to berating players and assistants, and a lack of awareness regarding NFL players, created the most toxic work environment in the NFL. "Who's this 99 guy on the Rams?.. I'm hearing he might be a problem for us." It perfectly encapsulates Urban Meyer's lack of NFL knowledge, and being simply outmatched by a league out of his league.
Hue Jackson: 2016-18 Browns
3-36-1. Few NFL head coaching jobs even remotely compare to Hue Jackson's dreadfully bad gig with the Cleveland Browns. After a 1-15 season during his first year coaching the Browns, Jackson promised to jump in Lake Erie if the team didn't win a single game in 2017. Hue Jackson stayed true to his word. However, Jackson's Browns had a subpar roster of essentially mostly backups, zero pro bowlers, and a starting quarterback whose own college coach said that he wasn't NFL-ready. While Jackson had little talent to build around during his time in Cleveland, the Browns' 5-3 record following Jackson's firing tells you all you need to know.
Frank Reich: 2023 Panthers
Frank Reich's first head coaching stint came in Indianapolis, ending in a firing in 2022 after a 40-33-1 record. The Panthers subsequently hired an experienced offensive mind in the hopes of developing their rookie quarterback, Bryce Young. Frank Reich's time in Carolina lasted just 11 games, a firing that even after a 1-10 start, felt premature. The offense finished dead last, averaging 13.9 points per game, and Bryce Young routinely looked lost, panicked, and confused. Reich's premature firing might have been caused by his rift with Panthers' owner David Tepper. Frank Reich advocated for drafting C.J. Stroud as No.1 overall, while Tepper made the final call to draft Young instead. C.J. Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Young had a disappointing rookie season.
Chip Kelly: 2016 49ers
Chip Kelly entered the 2016 season as the 49ers' third head coach in three seasons. A 28-0 week one win over the Rams gave plenty of false hope for an otherwise inept 49ers' roster that fell back down to Earth with a 13-game losing streak. While San Francisco got blown out in most of their games in 2016, their 1-5 record in one-score games under Kelly displayed Kelly's lack of game management skills even when his team could keep pace with opponents. Chip Kelly spent a grand total of one season on the 49ers but considering that the team only won 6 games the following season with a complete roster overhaul, it's clear that the 2016 49ers team had more problems other than their head coach.
Nathaniel Hackett: 2022 Broncos
The hype surrounding the Broncos ahead of the 2022 season was nothing short of enormous. In addition to having an elite defense and trading for Russell Wilson in the offseason, they hired rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett after helping Aaron Rodgers gain back-to-back MVP seasons. Since the Broncos defense in 2022 had the 7th-least yards allowed per game, the team would have won about 10 games if the offense had been merely league average. However, Denver's 5-12 record halved their expected win total and thus could not hack it. Hackett's lack of experience or game management was on full display, posting an abysmal 3-8 record in one-score games. After a 51-14 Christmas day beatdown from the Rams, Nathaniel Hackett was fired with a 4-11 head coaching record.
Gus Bradley: 2013-16 Jaguars
The Pete Caroll coaching tree has produced minimal head-coaching success, with Gus Bradley being the first and easily the worst experiment. Bradley spent an astonishing 4 seasons coaching a Jacksonville team that never finished above .500. Gus Bradley's defensive expertise led the Jaguars' defense to finish bottom-ten in three of his four seasons. Additionally, the Jags' No.3 overall pick in quarterback Blake Bortles did not pan out. In total, Gus Bradley compiled a 14-48 record during his time as a Jaguar. Bradley's coaching job looks even worse in hindsight, as the Jags finished 10-6 with the NFL's second-best defense and a trip to the NFC Championship game in their first season without Bradley calling the shots.
Matt Patricia: 2018-20 Lions
The Bill Belichick coaching tree is possibly the worst coaching tree in NFL history, posting a total record of 219-306-2. And Lions' former head coach Matt Patricia was no different from the pattern. The Lions initially hired Patricia because the team's 9-7 record under Jim Caldwell, "Wasn't good enough". Patricia proceeded to coach the Lions to a 13-29-1 record over the course of two and a half seasons, a much worse record than 9-7. Patricia's defense, his area of expertise, ranked 18th, 26th, and 32nd, sealing any chance Detroit had of playoff contention. Matt Patricia learned the valuable lesson that other Belichick assistants have learned: No matter how much of a football genius you are, you can't implement "The Patriot Way", on a team that doesn't believe in your vision.