Firing coaches impulsively not good for business, but practice continues
Coaches always seem to be on the hot seat, but when it comes to finding coaches with winning records, there just aren't that many in the league.
| Who's got the juice? | ||
| Coach | Career record | Playoffs |
| Bill Belichick | 175-97 | 17-7 |
| Mike Shanahan | 154-108 | 8-5 |
| Tom Coughlin | 142-114 | 12-7 |
| Jeff Fisher | 142-120 | 5-6 |
| Andy Reid | 126-81-1 | 10-9 |
| John Fox | 81-79 | 6-4 |
| Lovie Smith | 71-57 | 3-3 |
| Mike McCarthy | 63-33 | 5-3 |
| Mike Tomlin | 55-25 | 5-3 |
| John Harbaugh | 44-20 | 5-4 |
| Mike Smith | 43-21 | 0-3 |
| Rex Ryan | 28-20 | 4-2 |
| Jim Harbaugh | 13-3 | 1-1 |
| Jason Garrett | 13-11 | 0-0 |
| Mike Munchak | 9-7 | 0-0 |
| Ken Whisenhunt | 40-40 | 4-2 |
When it comes to finding head coaches with winning postseason records, the list gets even smaller.
Impulsive firing of coaches is not good business.
Bill Belichick leads the coaching business with a 175-97 record and an even more impressive 17-7 postseason record. Mike Shanahan has the second best regular season record, 154-108, but his postseason record of 8-5 isn't as impressive as Tom Coughlin's 12-7 postseason record and he's closing in on the regular season No. 2 spot with his 142-114 record.
The return of Jeff Fisher to the NFL puts him in the fourth spot during the regular season with a 142-120 record and a less-impressive 5-6 postseason record. The irony of the top four winning active coaches is the fact they have all been fired in the past.
There are 15 NFL head coaches with winning regular season records and not all of them are on solid ground, but they should be.
The thought that Andy Reid is under a microscope is predictable considering the fate of the coaches ahead of him in wins, but it really shouldn't even be a speculation. Even though Jim Schwartz doesn't have a winning record, the Lions were smart enough to sign him to a four-year extension this week. If more owners thought like the Steelers ' Rooneys, their franchises will have more stability to overcome bad seasons.
I've included a list of the only coaches in the NFL with .500 or winning records heading into 2012.
It's a safe bet at least two of the men below will be terminated by season's end, which will be a mistake.
