There is no job in sports that's more fragile than the head coach position in the NFL.
The Monday after the last regular season games are played — or “Black Monday,” as it is called in the football world — saw seven head coaches fired around the league this year.
In a league where the question, “What have you done for me lately?” is largely relevant, coaches are consistently on the hot seat.
Lovie Smith led his team to 10 wins this year and was still fired by the Chicago Bears. Even though the Bears didn’t make the playoffs, most fans would say a 10-win season is somewhat of a success.
It’s certainly better than Arizona’s five wins, right?
So why did Smith get canned? It is simple. The Chicago front office just wanted change and that’s why a 10-win coach can’t even feel safe in the NFL.
Some people were even calling for New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin to be fired for a disappointing season. The guy won a Super Bowl last year.
Again, the question becomes, “What have you done for me lately?”
If I’m taking a job in the NFL as a head coach, I’m not buying a house. I’m renting a condo or apartment. Nothing is permanent in this league.
Reach the columnist at ross.dunham@asu.edu
