Black Monday Coaching Decisions

GM's and Coaches on the Way Out

Highly Possible-

A.J. Smith & Norv Turner (San Diego Chargers)- Turner and Smith are all but a certain casualty. When Norv Turner took over this team, they were coming off of a 14-2 season. He and Smith have turned this team into a garbage fest, one terrible move after another. I'm surprised he lasted through last year, quite honestly and I'd be surprised if any other team would give either of these guys a chance.

Andy Reid (Philadelphia Eagles)- Andy is out after 14 years with the Eagles. He is a great coach, and will probably land with another team in the coming days. Honestly I think he should take a year off and wait for a better opportunity, unless he can get on with the Cowboys. But, if he takes the Cowboys position, I think Jerry Jones should give up some of his control to Reid. That could be an interesting pairing, one that would probably benefit Dallas.

Jason Garrett (Dallas Cowboys)- This one is not official yet, and may be one that takes some time to decide. Ultimately, I think Garrett loses his job. He has a lot of talent on the roster in what was a very weak division this year and had an 8-8 record. Garrett has taken a huge fall from when he was once the most sought after coordinator for a head coaching position, to now he'll be lucky to hang onto his job. He will catch on with someone else as a coordinator though.

Tom Heckert & Pat Shurmer (Cleveland Browns)- Cleveland is cleaning house again. After a few disappointing seasons under these two, they decided to collect the cards and reshuffle. This could be an interesting job to have as there are pieces in place to have a successful run. A new quarterback is a must though. With Alex Smith, Michael Vick, Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel and more to soon be on the market if the teams decide to cut ties with them, this team could grab up a veteran to take the reins.

Scott Pioli & Romeo Crennel (Kansas City Chiefs)- For now it looks like Pioli may hold onto his job, but Crennel is a foregone conclusion. Tough hand dealt to Crennel as the team rebounded late last year under him, but then the team cut ties with Kyle Orton who led the team to those few late wins last season. This team has a lot of talent on defense and some weapons on offense, given the right coach and a new quarterback, this team could have a lot of success next season.

Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears)- Lovie is out in Chicago after a 10-6 season and narrowly missing the playoffs. My thoughts are that he didn't deserve to lose his job. This is a great team on both sides of the ball, but they commit too many turnovers. This is another quarterback problem in my opinion. Jay Cutler commits way too many of them and he has a track record of losing. I don't see Jay Cutler winning a Super Bowl, to me he is not a winner. His attitude and lack of interest is off-putting to many people including me, and most people don't like him.

Ken Whisenhunt (Arizona Cardinals)- Whisenhunt is a great coach, but this is a terrible team. After winning their first 4 games. They went on to lose 11 of their next 12. I don't think any coach deserves to keep his job after losing 11 of 12. I believe he will flourish on a new team that is better constructed such as the Bears or Chiefs.

Buddy Nix & Chan Gailey (Buffalo Bills)- Chan Gailey is out, Buddy Nix appears to be safe for now. This team feels to me like a team that under-performed this year but there is talent here. With a new coach they can either take steps forward or steps back. They have a few weapons on both sides of the ball to build around, but I don't know if they are ready to compete anytime soon.

Mike Tannenbaum & Rex Ryan (New York Jets)- Tannenbaum is gone, and Rex Ryan appears safe for now. He will have to meet with the new GM to discuss his job, but I don't see him holding onto it unless the new GM doesn't see any better options. I think Ryan is a good coach when he's worried about coaching, but he's usually just worried about running his mouth. This team is probably going to clean house on the roster, because this seems like one of the teams with the worst team chemistry. I don't know if they will get rid of Mark Sanchez because of his contract, but he's not a starter anymore.

Gene Smith & Mike Mularkey (Jacksonville Jaguars)- Smith is out for sure, Mularkey safe for now. This team was awful this year, but Chad Henne came in and gave them a spark. It looks like Gabbert is not the quarterback of the future, and they will have the #2 overall pick in the draft coming up so we'll see what they do with it. But I don't see this team getting much better soon.

Possible (Unlikely)

Dennis Allen (Oakland Raiders)- Oakland has been linked with Jon Gruden once again, and although they have denied that they have had any contact, it could be an interesting pairing. Gruden was the last coach to have a winning season in Oakland besides Bill Callahan in the one season following Gruden (riding on his coattails.) I would be interested to see a reunion, although that would be pretty unfair to Dennis Allen. Oakland is looking for a stable environment to rebuild around, and making another one season coach is not a good start. But, if you can pull Gruden away from the booth to coach up this team, I think you have to grab that opportunity. Allen doesn't have a huge contract so that won't be a major issue, but he wasn't given a very good hand to play with if this was his only season in Oakland.

Mike Munchak (Tennessee Titans)- For now Munchak appears to be safe, but after more discussions he may be let go. More on this as it progresses.