Great NFL head coaches are in short supply. For every Bill Belichick, there are about two dozen absolutely terrible coaches running teams across professional football. It’s no wonder teams frequently fire their head coaches after only a season or two, and why the top job in the NFL is often referred to as a “coaching carousel.” Apparently the skills, attitude, and temperament needed to lead men into battle on the gridiron each week are hard to come by. Even coaches who had great success in the collegiate ranks often have a hard time once they reach football’s biggest stage. Here are the 10 worst NFL head coaches of all time.
10. Chip Kelly
Expectations were huge for Chip Kelly when he entered the NFL in 2013. The former head coach of the University of Oregon NCAA program, Kelly was hailed as an offensive genius when he assumed head coaching duties with the Philadelphia Eagles. However, all the hope and promise quickly evaporated when the Eagles struggled under Coach Kelly. Finding it difficult to adapt to the big leagues and treating the Eagles’ professional players like college freshmen, Kelly proved to be a divisive force on the team. Worse, he traded away many of the team’s top talent, including All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy and linebacker Kiko Alonso. Some players on the Eagles even accused Kelly of being a racist. Eventually, he was fired after just three seasons at the helm. He landed another head coaching job with San Francisco 49ers for the 2016 season, but was fired after one season where the Niners went 2-14. Kelly now says he plans to return to the college ranks.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)