The National Football League (NFL) is a competitive and relentless environment where things can spiral rapidly, showing no signs of improvement. Numerous superb assistants have learned the hard way that flourishing as head coaches is a different beast altogether. A review of the 25 poorest NFL head coaching appointments of this century makes this painfully clear, shining a spotlight on numerous widely respected assistants whose attempts at head coaching ended in disappointment.
Highly successful college football head coaches have also suffered a similar fate when turning to the professional game. This unfortunate reality is something Miami Dolphins’ fans have become all too familiar with. The longstanding team has been caught in a winless playoff run of nearly 25 years, a fact which has perpetuated several ill-fated coaching hires – multiple ones feature among the 25 worst of the 21st century.
Nick Saban’s tenure is famously engraved as the 24th most unfavorable hiring of this century. It wasn’t just Saban’s poor win record but the larger aftermath that brought misery to his brief rule in South Florida. With a sparkling entry as an LSU national champion expected to revive a legendary franchise, his overall performance was a letdown.
Disregarding securing Drew Brees, a potential free-agent quarterback candidate, Saban’s departure was shrouded with controversy as he had declared he wouldn’t take another job, only to accept a position at Alabama weeks later. It’s common to have a change of heart, but Saban’s sudden exit left the Dolphins in complicated situations. Since his departure, the Dolphins’ struggle to restore their past glory continues.
Saban’s reign over the Dolphins lasted two seasons featuring mixed success, leading the team to a record of 9-7 in 2005 and 6-10 in 2006. All these together brought an average success rate of 15-17. However, after Saban’s abrupt resignation, the following disastrous season under Cam Cameron in 2007 added insult to injury.
Cam Cameron’s struggle during the 2007 season holds the unfortunate distinction of the third-worst appointment on the list of worst head coaches within this time frame. Despite previously managing electrifying offenses with the San Diego Chargers, Cameron’s sole opportunity in the head coach seat led to Miami’s worst season in four decades.
In a tumultuous period, Miami had no choice but to shuffle between an aging Trent Green and backups like Cleo Lemon, and John Beck as their starting quarterback. Further exacerbating the situation, the Dolphins overlooked the opportunity to hire the future Pittsburgh Steelers legend, Mike Tomlin, in favor of Cameron.
The only head coaching appointments ranked worse than Cameron’s unsuccessful stint were those of Bobby Petrino of the Atlanta Falcons and Urban Meyer of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Petrino had a mediocre run, resigning mid-season after only managing a 3-10 record to accept another position.
Despite being appointed head coach following the assignment of No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, Urban Meyer could only guide the Jags to a dismal 2-11 season before he was dismissed before the final game. While these statistics suggest how poor their coaching stints were, another name from the Miami Dolphins joins them on the list of worst appointments.
Among the list of the century’s poorest appointments was Adam Gase, whose stint with the New York Jets after leaving the Dolphins was notably unimpressive. Despite managing to achieve a somewhat respectable 23-26 record with Miami and even securing a Wild Card place in 2016, his performance dropped significantly after moving to the Jets.
Serving as the Jets’ head coach in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Gase was only able to muster a disappointing 9-23 during his tenure. These statistics suggest a stark contrast from his time at the Dolphins, marking his time at the Jets as a significant downturn in his head coaching career.