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There have been more than 500 head coaches in NFL history. Needless to say, not all of them have worked out. A failed head coaching tenure in the NFL can occur for a variety of reasons, including extensive losing, off-the-field issues and poor decisions that negatively impact the franchise. Taking all factors into consideration, these are the five worst head coaches in NFL history.
#5 - Marty Mornhinweg, Detroit Lions
Hiring head coach Marty Mornhinweg was one of the many bad decisions made by general manager Matt Millen during his time with the Detroit Lions. When Mornhinweg joined the Lions, they were playoff contenders, coming off a winning season the year before. He lost his first twelve games as their head coach and finished his two-year run with a 5-27 record.
A coaching decision that accurately sums up his incompetence occurred during an overtime game against the Chicago Bears. In the sudden death format, the Lions won the coin toss but unexplainably deferred the decision. The Bears obviously received the kick and would go on to win the game.
#4 - Hue Jackson, Cleveland Browns
Hue Jackson will always be remembered for being the head coach of the Cleveland Browns when they finished the 2017 season with an 0-16 record. They are one of only two teams in NFL history to do so. In 40 games as a head coach, Hue Jackson registered a 3-36-1 record. That's the worst winning percentage by any head coach in NFL history.
Also read: NFL: How many NFL teams have lost all 16 games?
The only thing that saved Hue Jackson from being even lower on the list is the circumstances of the Cleveland Browns during his tenure. The team was going through a full rebuild and had a complete lack of talented players. That explains why they were bad, but 3-36-1 is unacceptable.
#3 - Rich Kotite, New York Jets
Rich Kotite is a New York legend for all the wrong reasons. After two years as the head coach of the Jets, he finished with an abysmal 4-28 record. They were supposed to be playoff contenders at the time. Kotite was also given the power to make roster decisions, which didn't work out either. For example, he overpaid free agent quarterback Neil O'Donnell.
What makes the Kotite Jets look even worse is the two head coaches that he was sandwiched between. The Jets fired head coach Pete Carroll after just one season, making room for Kotite. Bill Parcells took over after Kotite. He won nine games in his first season, more than double what Kotite did in two seasons combined.
#2 - Urban Meyer, Jacksonville Jaguars
Urban Meyer couldn't even last a full season as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The record was disappointing, sitting at just 2-11 entering Week 15 of the 2021 NFL season, but the issues and distractions away from the playing field are really what made Meyer's short tenure a complete disaster.
Also read: 5 most controversial moments of Urban Meyer's career
Hiring Chris Doyle was his first major mistake. It was also one of the first major decisions that he made as head coach, so he got off to a bad start to begin with. It never got any better from there, including viral videos of Meyer partying at a bar and reports that he kicked a kicker at the Jaguars team facility after verbally abusing him. It's been an eventful couple of months in Jacksonville.
#1 - Bobby Petrino, Atlanta Falcons
Bobby Petrino will always be remembered for the way he left the Atlanta Falcons. He signed a five-year contract to be their head coach but resigned midway through his first season with a 3-10 record. He was offered a head coaching job at the University of Arkansas prior to quitting, but informed Falcons owner Arthur Blank that he would remain with the team. Petrino left for Arkansas a day later.
The details are what make it even worse. Petrino personally promised Arthur Blank that he would remain with the Atlanta Falcons despite the Arkansas offer. The promise lasted less than a day. Petrino didn't even let his players know prior to leaving. Instead, he left behind a short letter announcing his departure rather than holding a meeting. He basically just disappeared.
