The Most Underachieving NFL Head Coaches Ever For All 32 Teams
By Erik Lambert
John Fox (Carolina Panthers)
The defensive-minded John Fox, a former defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator in the NFL, was hired as the Carolina Panthers’ head coach after a brutal 1-15 season in 2001.
The Panthers desperately needed something to jumpstart their franchise, and the hiring of John Fox — along with a number of other moves — seemed to help.
As fate would have it, the Panthers’ 15-game losing streak wasn’t enough for the Panthers to earn the number one overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft as the Houston Texans had the top pick since they were an expansion franchise.
That left the Panthers with North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers with the second overall selection. That has turned out okay.
The Panthers won seven games in Fox’s first season with the team and made it to the Super Bowl in his second year where they lost to the New England Patriots on a game-winning field goal.
Two years later, the Panthers were back in the NFC Championship game, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
From that point on, it was sort of a downhill ride for the Panthers and Fox, who ended the 2010 season with a putrid 2-14 record. Carolina declined to renew Fox’s contract, and he went on to become head coach of the Denver Broncos (where he also failed to meet high expectations, ultimately) and Chicago Bears (where the same thing happened).
Fox has always been a solid coach but hasn’t gotten over the proverbial hump.