Here's our weekly look at the NFL coaches hot seat where once again we have Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano at the top of the list. Also appearing on this list are the coaches of the Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals.
NFL Coaches Hot Seat: Tony Sparano, Jim Caldwell Top The List
In what is becoming a weekly tradition, our NFL coaches hot seat starts with Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.
1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins: It's getting strange in Miami. Let's go back to earlier this year. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was reported to have been courting Jim Harbaugh to become his new coach -- while Sparano was still under contract -- before Harbaugh took the 49ers job. Now, there are reports that "intermediaries" have been reaching out to Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden about potentially becoming the new Dolphins head coach. Combine that with Sparano reportedly telling an official last weekend that he needs to get a call right or he'll be fired, and you get a messy, messy situation in Miami. It seems inevitable that Sparano won't return to Miami next season, and we're left wondering when, not if, he'll be fired.
2. Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts: He's been an interesting member of the hot seat. He deserves mention because his team is 0-7 -- any coach whose team is 0-7 should be on this list. But I wasn't sure if he was truly in danger of losing his job because there's a thought in some circles that the loss of Peyton Manning gives him an excuse. But now you have the locals like SB Nation's Stampede Blue and the Indy Star saying the end of the Caldwell era may come at the end of the season. This is coming after the Colts put up a top 10 worst loss in NFL history with the 62-7 drubbing against the Saints. Things are not looking good for Caldwell, or the Colts.
3. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams: A few weeks ago I first put him on the list when the Rams were 0-3 as a curious ‘Hey, why aren’t people talking about Spags on the hot seat?’ And now Spagnuolo is seated firmly on the hot seat as the Rams are 0-6 and face 0-7 with a game coming up against the Saints. There’s a strong argument that the Rams are the most disappointing team in football. It’s Spagnuolo’s third year so it’s hard to see a coach go from seven wins in one season to an 0-7 start in the next.
4. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars: Big win for the Jags on Monday night against the Ravens. That pushed Del Rio down a few spots on this list as Jacksonville snapped a five-game losing streak. Del Rio needed that victory and he got it. Now, how long will this last? With two games against the division-leading Texans in the next month, we'll find out pretty quickly.
5. Ken Whisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals: No, I don’t think Whisenhunt is going to get fired but I do think he’s got some problems in Arizona. Before the season, the Cardinals were viewed as a team that could compete for the NFC West title but they’ve gone the exact opposite direction losing five consecutive games and, with a game next week in Baltimore, that could stretch to six. Things will really get shaky if they can’t beat the Rams after that. Whisenhunt was extended after the 2009 season but it’ll be interesting to see if the heat rises as the losses mount.
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