“Black Monday” is upon us once again in 2014, with a number of NFL teams letting go of their respective head coach go following the end of the regular season.
Here’s a list of coaches and GMs who were fired:
New York Jets: Coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik were both fired by owner Woody Johnson. The firings come as a no-brainer as the 4-12Jets haven’t made the playoffs in several years and were considered one of the worst teams in the league this season. The Jets have also developed somewhat of a reputation as a place where quarterbacks go to “die,” as Ryan’s tenure has consistently seen exceptionally poor quarterback play.
It’s being reported that the entire front office for the Jets was “cleaned out” by Johnson.
Atlanta Falcons: Mike Smith was fired by Falcons owner Arthur Blank. There were hints all season long that Blank hasn’t been happy with Smith’s performance. This was evident when Blank was spotted on the sideline leering at Smith in October when the 6-10 Falcons lost a 21-0 lead to the Detroit Lions.
“Smitty’s contributions to our club, team and city over the last seven years are numerous,” Blank said in a team news release. “His accomplishments on the field made him the most successful coach in the 49-year history of the Falcons, and we are grateful for the foundation he has laid for us for the future.”
Chicago Bears: Both head coach Marc Trestman and GM Phil Emery were fired by Chicago after posting a 5-11 season, missing out on the playoffs for a second straight season. Emery selected Trestman, a former CFL head coach, over Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians two seasons ago. Amid the poor season, there’s been rumors of infighting between players, and speculation is rife that Trestman lost the locker room. Even offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer admitted earlier this month that he was an anonymous source who spoke with an NFL.com reporter and essentially threw quarterback Jay Cutler under the bus when he said the Bears’ front officer are having “buyer’s remorse” in signing him to a multi-year, lucrative contract.
San Francisco 49ers: Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco’s front office “mutually” parted ways after the 49ers missed the playoffs for the first time under his tenure. It’s been reported that Harbaugh is going to take the head coaching job at Michigan in a reported six-year, $48 million deal.
Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders are still looking to land Harbaugh. According to NBC’s Pro Football Talk:
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports echoes the report from Adam Schefter of ESPN that Harbaugh to Michigan is not a done deal. Both also report that the Raiders have not given up on Harbaugh as the team’s next head coach.
