NFL firing wave leaves a quarter of teams without head coaches

After the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, a quarter of the NFL now has head coaching vacancies.

The New York Giants and Tennessee Titans fired their head coaches midseason, giving them a leg up on starting a search while the rest of the NFL waited until after Week 18 to make a decision.

The Titans fired Brian Callahan in Week 7 after a 1-5 start and promoted senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy to serve as the team’s interim head coach. McCoy is unlikely to be hired as the full-time coach, as the team went 2-9 under him.

Callahan was in his second season when he was fired and had a 4-19 record as the Titans’ head coach.

The Giants fired Brian Daboll after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Chicago Bears, a game in which rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart sustained a concussion, which dropped them to 2-8. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka was named interim coach and went 2-5 in his seven games.

Daboll was in his fourth season and amassed a 20-40-1 record. He was named NFL Coach of the Year in his first season after leading the Giants to a 9-7-1 record and a playoff berth, but the team’s record worsened in every season.

While Kafka won his last two games and received an interview for the full-time position, he is unlikely to receive the Giants’ head coaching job.

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The Atlanta Falcons became the third team to have a vacancy and wasted little time, firing head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday. The team fired Morris after back-to-back 8-9 seasons.

The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but owner Arthur Blank had other plans. The Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Titans have all scheduled interviews with Morris, according to multiple reports.

The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday.

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The Cleveland Browns were the first team to make a move on “Black Monday,” as they fired two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. The Browns went 5-12 in Stefanski’s final season.

In six seasons with the Browns, Stefanski went 45-56 with two playoff berths and one postseason win. The Giants have reportedly already interviewed Stefanksi, while the Las Vegas Raiders and Titans have interviews scheduled, according to multiple reports.

The Raiders were the next team to make a move, dismissing Pete Carroll after one disastrous season. The Raiders were 3-14 but were rewarded for their dismal season with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

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The Cardinals were the last team to fire their coach on “Black Monday,” firing head coach Jonathan Gannon after three seasons. The Cardinals were 3-14 this season, losing their final nine games.

It looked like the Cardinals were building something when they went 8-9 in 2024, but the team regressed.

The Baltimore Ravens shocked the world when they parted ways with John Harbaugh after 18 seasons on Tuesday. Harbaugh was the second-longest-tenured coach in the NFL, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin.

The Ravens underperformed this season, going 8-9 and missing the playoffs in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday, and the team moved on just a couple of days later. Harbaugh immediately became the top head coaching candidate on the market and has drawn interest from all teams with a vacancy, according to multiple reports.

Harbaugh went 180-113 in his Ravens’ tenure, which included a Super Bowl win in 2012 over his brother, Jim Harbaugh.

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The Dolphins were the latest team to make a move, firing McDaniel on Thursday and creating the eighth head coaching vacancy. McDaniel went 35-33 in four seasons with the Dolphins, including two trips to the playoffs.

McDaniel is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and is reportedly expected to draw interest.

This offseason is the second consecutive offseason where there are eight openings, with the Raiders the lone team participating in a head coaching search in both offseasons.

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