We’re at the midway point of the 2011 NFL season which means we have a decent idea of which coaches likely aren’t coming back to their jobs next year. In fact, I can think of at least two I would bet won’t return, and history says we’ll see a couple more.
NFL Coaches Hot Seat: Tony Sparano Gets One Win But Remains Atop Hot Seat List
Tony Sparano has been on top of our weekly look at the NFL coaches hot seat all season and that doesn’t change this week despite he and the Dolphins picking up win No. 1.
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The most obvious coach on his way out is Tony Sparano with the Miami Dolphins but he slowed down the firing train this weekend by beating the Chiefs. Despite that, he remains at the top of our list of coaches on the hot seat.
Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins: Sparano and the Dolphins won their first game last weekend and did it in convincing fashion -- 31-3 over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Is that enough to save his job? In the long run, probably not. I’m not sure there’s any way Sparano can save his job for the 2012 season but stringing together a few wins may avoid an in-season change. The positive you can say about Sparano’s Dolphins is that they’re not getting blown out very often, unlike....
Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts: Indy moves to 0-9 and it certainly sounds like there's some distractions in the front office. The locals are getting restless and the media is calling out the front office as the rats start coming out in Indy (Bill Polian's words, not mine). Regardless of whether Caldwell can win games in the future, you can't hang onto a coach who presides over one of the worst seasons in franchise history, assuming the season continues to head downhill.
Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams: Talk about something you didn't see coming. Spags' tenure in St. Louis appeared to be headed on the right track going from one win in year one, to seven wins (and a franchise quarterback) in year two and now...1-7. The Rams have the 31st ranked offense and the 29th ranked defense. There really aren't any positives here.
Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles: It would take a bad season for the Eagles to actually part ways with Andy Reid but look at what's going on right now. The Eagles made offseason moves that indicated they're ready to win it all now. That's definitely the message that the fan base received. Those expectations make the Eagles 3-5 start even more disappointing. Absent a 7-1 run to end the season, the Eagles won't be making the playoffs and the calls for Reid's head in Philly won't get any quieter.
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