They don’t call the NFL a brutal business for nothing. Whether it’s a player, a coach, or someone in the front office, the question is the same — what have you done for me lately? Any head coach with questionable team results runs the risk of an impatient owner sending them packing with a pink slip. Right or wrong, which NFL coaches were fired today? We have all the news and transactions right here.
NFL Coaches Fired Today | Monday, January 9
In the first domino effect on the head-coaching cycle, the Houston Texans fired Lovie Smith last night (January 8), with the news hitting social media just before 11:00 p.m. ET. It’s the second consecutive one-and-done coach for the Texans’ organization, the Smith firing on the heels of David Culley’s 2021 firing at the end of the season.
Around noon on the East Coast, Ian Rapoport tweeted that the Arizona Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury.
Lovie Smith Fired
Despite a poor overall record — one that bestowed the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — the Texans played admirably in the home stretch of the season. It was enough that Lovie Smith quipped, “Do I expect to be back? Yeah, I expect to be back. Absolutely.”
Aside from a blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 17, the Texans were a dangerous underdog in the final portions of the 2022 season. It started against the Dallas Cowboys, holding a fourth-quarter lead on the road before succumbing to a Dak Prescott comeback. The Chiefs had to beat them in overtime the following week.
MORE: 5 Texans Head Coach Candidates To Replace Lovie Smith
Houston would finally get over the bump, notching a road victory against the division-rival Tennessee Titans. Following the Jags blowout, the Texans stole a victory from the clutches of defeat, scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final minute to beat the division-rival Indianapolis Colts on the road.
The final stretch came at a cost, however. The Chicago Bears leapfrogged the Texans in draft position and won the rights to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kliff Kingsbury Fired
One year after signing an extension with the Cardinals, they fired him on Black Monday. Behind a 4-13 record and their franchise QB Kyler Murray not taking the next step, Kingsbury could no longer hold his hat on the QB whisperer moniker.
The Cardinals also let go of GM Steve Keim. The next decision-makers will at least have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to work with as part of their rebuild.