Ranking the 5 worst head coaches heading into 2022-23 NFL season

NFL head coaches have a relatively thankless job. They rarely receive credit when their teams perform well and cop all of the criticism when they don't. Whether or not the team's performance is the result of the head coach doesn't seem to matter much in the general public's perception.

When head coaches are hired by an NFL team, they are expected to win immediately, or at least show significant progress. They are often given around a three-year window to prove their worth and are fired when things go wrong.

Even long term, veteran head coaches are expected to consistently produce a winning product. They simply can't get away with a good history.

On that note, here are the five worst head coaches entering the 2022-23 NFL season, excluding those with no prior head coaching experience in the league.

#5 Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals

Kliff Kingsbury began his head coaching career in college football at Texas Tech. He had just two winning seasons in six years while accumulating a 35-40 overall record. Despite his mediocre results, he was hired by the Arizona Cardinals to take over as their head coach.

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In three seasons with the Cardinals, Kingsbury has a 24-25-1 record. Most alarming are his well-documented late-season collapses, which started in college and have carried over to the NFL.

#4 Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers

After a successful college coaching career, including with Temple and Baylor, Matt Rhule was hired by the Carolina Panthers. He built a reputation for turning struggling programs around, but so far that hasn't been the case during his NFL career.

The Panthers are 10-23 since Rhule took over as head coach. He has failed despite having a seemingly talented roster and an aggressive owner who is willing to make moves to benefit the team. Another bad season for Rhule could potentially be his last with the Panthers.

#3 Lovie Smith, Houston Texans

Lovie Smith has a head coaching career that dates all the way back to the 2004 NFL season with the Chicago Bears. He had some success with the team, making it to the playoffs three times in nine years and winning three postseason games. That's the good news, while the bad news is that he hasn't had a winning record at any level as a head coach since the 2012 season.

Following his run with the Bears, Smith posted a 8-24 combined record across two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He followed that up with five consecutive losing seasons in college football at Illinois. He will now get his third shot at a head coaching job in the NFL with the Houston Texans.

#2 Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Todd Bowles is set to take over as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the upcoming season. Former head coach Bruce Arians announced his retirement during the offseason. Bowles enters the team in a great situation, with the Buccaneers expected to contend for the Super Bowl.

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Bowles received his first shot as head coach when the New York Jets hired him prior to the 2015 season. He posted a solid 10-6 record in his first year before everything fell apart. He went just 14-34 over the next three years before being fired.

#1 Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints

In a shocking move during the 2022 NFL offseason, legendary coach Sean Payton announced his retirement. The New Orleans Saints decided to promote Dennis Allen from defensive coordinator to head coach. He does come with previous experience and is also familiar with the organization.

Allen has found success during his career as a defensive coordinator, but his time as a head coach has been much less inspiring. In his only previous attempt, he posted a 8-28 record with the Oakland Raiders before being fired four games into his third season.

Edited by John Maxwell