Not every coach is cut out for the big leagues, and some hires turn out to be absolute disasters. Whether it was clueless play-calling, locker room chaos, or just a complete lack of wins, these coaches took the reins of an NFL team and promptly drove it off a cliff.
From head-scratchers to full-blown disasters, here are the 15 biggest coaching busts in NFL history.
15. Joe Judge (New York Giants, 2020-2021)
Judge came in talking about discipline and toughness but left Giants fans with some of the most uninspired football they’ve ever seen. His quarterback sneak on third-and-nine summed up his tenure—playing scared and making zero sense.
14. Dennis Erickson (San Francisco 49ers, 2003-2004)
Erickson was a college coaching star, but his NFL run was a complete dud. He took over a 49ers team that had just won the division and promptly turned them into a two-win disaster.
13. Cam Cameron (Miami Dolphins, 2007)
Cameron’s lone season in Miami ended with a one-win record, making him one of the most forgettable head coaches in history. His most notable accomplishment? Somehow winning a single game to avoid an 0-16 disaster.
12. Marty Mornhinweg (Detroit Lions, 2001-2002)
Mornhinweg once won a coin toss in overtime and chose to kick, a decision that perfectly captured his Lions tenure. He finished with five wins in two seasons and was quickly shown the door.
11. Ray Handley (New York Giants, 1991-1992)
The Giants handed Handley a championship team after Bill Parcells left, and he ran it straight into the ground. Two years of bad decisions and mediocrity later, he was gone and never coached in the NFL again.
10. Lane Kiffin (Oakland Raiders, 2007-2008)
Kiffin clashed with owner Al Davis from the jump, and their feud became more entertaining than the actual team. His Raiders stint ended with Davis publicly roasting him in a legendary press conference before firing him.
9. Steve Spurrier (Washington, 2002-2003)
Spurrier thought he could waltz into the NFL and win with his college-style offense, but the league quickly humbled him. After two seasons of embarrassing losses and complete disinterest in defense, he walked away from the NFL for good.
8. Josh McDaniels (Denver Broncos, 2009-2010 & Las Vegas Raiders, 2022-2023)
McDaniels was supposed to be the next great Patriots coaching tree success story, but instead, he became a cautionary tale. From running Jay Cutler out of Denver to alienating players in Vegas, his two disastrous head coaching stints proved he’s better off as an offensive coordinator.
7. Adam Gase (Miami Dolphins, 2016-2018 & New York Jets, 2019-2020)
Gase somehow convinced teams he was an offensive genius, despite his offenses ranking near the bottom of the league. His legendary crazy-eyed press conference with the Jets was the only highlight of his forgettable tenure.
6. Rich Kotite (Philadelphia Eagles, 1991-1994 & New York Jets, 1995-1996)
Kotite started out strong in Philadelphia, but things unraveled fast, and his time with the Jets was historically awful. He won only four games in two years with New York, proving that just because you can coach doesn’t mean you should.
5. Rod Marinelli (Detroit Lions, 2006-2008)
Marinelli made history for all the wrong reasons, leading the 2008 Lions to the first 0-16 season in NFL history. His postgame press conferences were as awkward as the games themselves.
4. Urban Meyer (Jacksonville Jaguars, 2021)
Meyer lasted less than a full season before being fired, thanks to a mix of incompetence, scandals, and not even knowing his own players’ names. Kicking his own kicker might be the most ridiculous coaching moment in NFL history.
3. Bobby Petrino (Atlanta Falcons, 2007)
Petrino bailed on the Falcons after 13 games by leaving a note in the players’ lockers. His lack of leadership and cowardly exit made him one of the most infamous one-and-done coaches ever.
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2. Hue Jackson (Cleveland Browns, 2016-2018)
Jackson managed to win just three games in three seasons, including an 0-16 campaign in 2017. Somehow, he kept blaming everyone but himself for the Browns’ dysfunction.
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1. Steve Wilks (Arizona Cardinals, 2018)
Wilks was handed the keys to an already bad Cardinals team and somehow made them worse. His one-year disaster included a three-win season, a last-place offense, and a quick firing that led to Arizona drafting Kyler Murray and moving on instantly.
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