The 2023 NFL campaign has concluded, and the 2023-24 head coaching cycle has begun. Let’s take a look at the NFL head coaches fired in 2023-24.
NFL Head Coaches Fired in 2023-24
Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Josh McDaniels became the first NFL head coach to be fired in 2023 when he and general manager Dave Ziegler were let go by the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 31.
McDaniels and Ziegler, two ex-New England Patriots staffers, were hired during the 2022 offseason and tasked with improving a team that had gone 10-7 and snuck into the playoffs the year before.
Instead of honestly assessing a roster that had probably outperformed its underlying metrics, McDaniels doubled down on the club’s existing talent, signing QB Derek Carr, WR Hunter Renfrow, and TE Darren Waller to extensions.
The Raiders also traded their first and second-round picks in the 2022 draft for Green Bay Packers WR Davante Adams, signaling they wanted to compete immediately.
But Las Vegas finished 6-11 in McDaniels’ first season at the helm. Carr was benched for the Raiders’ final two games and then released. Waller was traded to the New York Giants. And Renfrow has essentially been removed from the team’s offensive plans.
McDaniels and Ziegler targeted another ex-Patriot — Jimmy Garoppolo — to take over under center in 2023. But Jimmy G has been alternately ineffective and inefficient and ranks 30th in QBR.
MORE: List of Current NFL Head Coaches
Interim Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce immediately benched Garoppolo in favor of fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell.
McDaniels ended his Las Vegas tenure with a ghastly 9-16 record. He’s now 20-33 overall as a head coach, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll get another chance at the top.
Frank Reich, Carolina Panthers
Frank Reich joined McDaniels as a fired NFL head coach when the Carolina Panthers handed him his walking papers on Nov. 27. Reich, who led the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Panthers in the spring, couldn’t even finish his first season in Carolina.
The 61-year-old’s relationship with owner David Tepper may have deteriorated before the regular season. Reports suggested that Tepper differed with the Panthers’ staff on which quarterback to select with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Tepper may have preferred Bryce Young, while Reich and Co. wanted C.J. Stroud. Carolina ultimately went with Young, who has struggled through his first NFL campaign. Stroud, drafted by the Houston Texans at No. 2, is lapping the Offensive Rookie of the Year field.
The 1-10 Panthers were rarely competitive in games, and their only win (ironically) came against Stroud’s Texans. Although Reich had constructed what was considered an elite staff that included DC Ejiro Evero, former NFL HC Jim Caldwell, and longtime NFL QB Josh McDown, Carolina never appeared well-coached.
The Panthers will kick off their second head coaching search in as many offseasons. Meanwhile, it’s difficult to imagine Reich will receive another HC opportunity, but he could be an offensive coordinator candidate in 2024.
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
While Brandon Staley always seemed likely to be let go by the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of the 2023 season, the club’s embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Raiders in Week 15 was the final nail in Staley’s coffin.
The Chargers fired Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Dec. 15.
Staley went 24-24 in Los Angeles, earning a playoff berth during the 2022 campaign. But even that success was tinged with despair, as the Chargers allowed the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history by blowing a 27-point to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round.
Staley was the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator before taking over the Chargers in 2021. While Staley was viewed as a progressive, analytic-friendly head coach, his tenure was instead defined by Justin Herbert’s stagnation, failure to meet expectations, and consistent lapses on the defensive side of the ball, which was supposed to be Staley’s specialty.
Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Smith may have technically been the first victim of Black Monday 2024, as reports that the Atlanta Falcons had fired Smith leaked out just after midnight ET on Jan. 8, 2024.
Smith went 7-10 in each of his three seasons as Atlanta’s head coach, but sub-.500 records were the least of his problems.
The former Tennessee Titans OC never solved the Falcons’ quarterback problem and spent the 2023 campaign bouncing between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, neither of whom profiled as a long-term answer.
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And despite Atlanta using first-round picks on WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson in consecutive drafts, Smith never figured out how to get the ball in his offensive playmakers’ hands.
Atlanta still had a chance at the NFC South title entering Week 18, but a Falcons loss plus a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win eliminated Smith’s squad from the playoffs. Smith only made matters worse by complaining to New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen about the Saints running up the score.
Ron Rivera, Washington Commanders
While the Commanders waited until Monday, Jan. 8, to fire Ron Rivera so as not to can him on his 62nd birthday, it’s long been clear that Rivera’s stay in Washington was coming to an end. His impending departure became even more apparent when a new ownership group led by Josh Harris took control of the Commanders last summer.
Rivera posted at least seven wins in each of his first three seasons as Washington’s head coach. He even led the club to a playoff appearance in 2020. But the postseason has been out of reach ever since, and the Commanders bottomed out with a 4-13 record in 2023.
Rivera seems unlikely to land another head coaching job, and he may not want to become a coordinator. As such, Rivera’s coaching career may theoretically be over.
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Mike Vrabel and the Titans parted ways on Jan. 9, although it remains unclear how the divorce actually took place. ESPN reported that Tennessee had fired Vrabel after six seasons, while NFL Network suggested the two sides had mutually agreed to part ways.
Vrabel ends his Titans stint with a 54-45 record and three playoff appearances. He won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award in 2021 after leading Tennessee to a 12-5 mark and the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but the Titans were upset in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
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Tennessee finished below .500 in each of the past two seasons, and reports indicated Vrabel could move on during the offseason. However, if Vrabel was going to depart, a trade seemed like the most likely outcome.
Instead, the Titans won’t get anything in return for Vrabel as he walks out the door. He will instantly be in the mix for another head coaching job, given his track record.
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks
Although Pete Carroll wasn’t technically fired, he will no longer be Seattle’s head coach. The Seahawks announced on Jan. 10 that Carroll would be leaving the HC chair and transitioning into an advisory role with the organization.
Carroll’s departure came as a surprise, especially because the 72-year-old had indicated just two days before that he was “not worn out” nor “tired,” suggesting he planned to return to the sidelines in 2024. Either Carroll had a chance of heart over 48 hours, or Seattle’s powers that be convinced him to step down.
Either way, Carroll will leave a robust legacy after a 14-year stint with the Seahawks. He finished with a 137-89-1 record in Seattle, winning five NFC West titles and Super Bowl 48. Given his success at USC and with the Seahawks, Carroll seems like a lock to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
Technically, Bill Belichick is unlikely to be considered as having been fired, with the official term looking to be “part ways.” However, this is ultimately a decision by owner Robert Kraft to move on from the head coach who has guided his team through 24 years and to six Super Bowls. During that time, the Patriots have gone 387-266 for a .687 winning percentage under Belichick.
The last four seasons have seen three losing seasons for the Patriots. That is two more than the first 20 seasons combined. Additionally, their 4-13 record in the 2023 season was the worst performance by the team during Belichick’s tenure, failing to surpass the 5-11 record form his first year in charge back in 2020.
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