Ben Kuchipudi ’25
Sports Editor
The first head coach domino fell in Week 8 as the Las Vegas Raiders fired Josh McDaniels after a 3-5 start to the season. This one we could have seen coming from a mile away, as the Raiders have been incompetent on offense this season and have frustrated their superstar wideout Davante Adams to the point of him possibly requesting a trade in the future. He also botched the quarterback situation after replacing Derek Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo, who has already been benched for fourth round rookie Aidan O’Connell. Adams came to Las Vegas to play with his college quarterback, but McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler (who was also fired) wanted to install the Patriot way. McDaniels was the first coach to get fired, but there are many other names on the hot seat.
Ron Rivera
This one is inevitable, as the Washington Commanders started off 2-0, but have gone 2-5 since, while trading away Chase Young and Montez Sweat in the process. Washington has started off strong the past few seasons, but they haven’t been able to maintain that momentum. They have talent on offense, as Sam Howell has come into his own and he has a slew of talent at the skill positions, but a lackluster defense has been the problem with them. Since becoming the head coach in 2020, Rivera has made the playoffs only once, and that was with a 7-9 record in his first season. Since then, Washington hasn’t been an awful team, but they have consistently finished around or at the .500 mark, the worst place to be in football. With a new owner in place, it’s time for Washington to start cleaning house, and that starts with Riverboat Ron.
Matt Eberflus
It’s only his second year at the helm, but Matt Eberflus is deserving of the hot seat. Since he’s become head coach, the Bears have only won five games and have been awful on offense. Maybe that’s because of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, but Eberflus deserves blame as well. The defense hasn’t been much better as they were the worst defense in football last year and have been equally as bad this season. Eberflus led a strong defensive unit while he was with the Colts, but that has not translated to Chicago. Now with two picks in the top five in a talented quarterback class, you have to wonder if the Bears will look to replace Justin Fields after an underwhelming first two and a half seasons, and if that does happen, you have to think Eberflus will be the next domino to fall.
Todd Bowles
Todd Bowles has always been underwhelming as a head coach, whether it was with the Jets or currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s a stellar defensive coordinator, as his defenses have always ranked in the top half of the league, but most coordinators aren’t fit to be head coaches, and that’s the case with Bowles. He won games with Tom Brady at quarterback, but any coach can do that. With Baker Mayfield at quarterback, Tampa Bay has won but not enough. Bowles also doesn’t have the demeanor of a head coach, as he is more reserved and won’t look to make any noise. Similar to the Bears, the Buccaneers could be looking at a quarterback in April as well, but in this case I think Bowles will be fired even if they don’t draft a quarterback.
Bill Belichick
I know he just signed an extension this offseason, but fans are delusional if they don’t think Bill Belichick is on the hot seat. Ever since Tom Brady left New England, the Patriots have gone 27-32, and this brings up the question about Belichick’s coaching ability since he hasn’t been able to win without Brady. The Patriots are in a complete freefall right now with an AFC worst 2-7 record with no signs of improvement, and they are on pace for their worst season since the turn of the millennium. Mac Jones has regressed badly and like the teams above, the Patriots will likely be looking at a quarterback with their top draft pick. If Mac Jones goes, Belichick should go too. Bill has had a Hall of Fame career and he’s arguably the greatest coach of all time, but all good things must come to an end eventually, and that includes the end of Bill Belichick’s illustrious career.
Chief Editor’s Note: Ben forgot to add Brandon Staley, but he’s on this list too.
Featured image courtesy of CBS Sports.
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