2015 NFL Hot Seat: Which Coaches Need To Win Now?
By Erik Lambert
Dec 28, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin reacts during the first half against the New York Jets at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Like the tides coming and going, it’s a guarantee in NFL life that a handful of head coaching positions will open up due to firings or retirements. Most the time it’s the former, often because they didn’t win enough to satisfy ownership. That often leads to rampant speculation about who could be on that hot seat.
So what does the landscape look like for the 2015 season?
Joe Philbin (Miami Dolphins)
Word was rampant last season that players were about ready to rebel against head coach Joe Philbin. Since then things have quieted down, but it doesn’t change the status quo. He prepares to enter his fourth season in charge of the Miami Dolphins. Each of his previous three all ended in the same fashion: out of the playoffs. They’ve been close the past two years but finished 8-8 both times. If Philbin fails yet again to get them over the hump, it will be hard for management to justify keeping him.
Gus Bradley (Jacksonville Jaguars)
The loss of Dante Fowler Jr. was not the way the Jacksonville Jaguars to start their season, but it doesn’t excuse head coach Gus Bradley from the task at hand. After two poor seasons, the time has come for expectations to grow and see progress in this young roster, especially second-year quarterback Blake Bortles. Safe bets say that finishing the season with a third-straight top five draft pick pretty much guarantees Bradley won’t be around to use it. The time for rebuilding should be over by now.
Jay Gruden (Washington Redskins)
By now everybody knows this ownership. Daniel Snyder is not in the least afraid to make changes when he feels progress isn’t going fast enough for the Washington Redskins. Add in the fact that a new GM is in place and making all the decisions, not the one who hired him and things are looking pretty bleak for Jay Gruden. He’s in a tough division with a transitioning roster and a quarterback situation mired in confusion. It’s going to take one hell of a coaching job to wade through it all and win games.
Tom Coughlin (New York Giants)
Two Super Bowl rings have afforded him extra time, as they should but the fact remains that Tom Coughlin has failed to get the New York Giants to the playoffs going on four years. Any other coaches would’ve been fired long ago for that. One must also not discount the fact that Coughlin will turn 69-years old when the regular season begins. That is getting up there in terms of age among NFL coaches. It provides the organization enough ammunition to justify moving him out despite the rings if he can’t get them to January this season.
Chuck Pagano (Indianapolis Colts)
One would think after winning three playoff games in two years that Chuck Pagano would be afforded a big longer leash. Such is not the case. Word is the franchise is not happy with how his team has played against the big fish in the AFC. All three of their playoff exits the past three years were to the Ravens and Patriots. All three games weren’t close. The biggest concern is his defense, which New England has railroaded in the past three meetings for 40+ points each. If Pagano can’t get over that hump this year, don’t be surprised if Indy seeks somebody else to get Andrew Luck his ring.