An NFL-Tying Record 10 Coaches Have Been Fired Or Stepped Down This Season

The NFL playoffs are still going on, but we've already seen an NFL record get tied this season. Ten different teams will have head coaching changes. That's happened four other times in NFL history, in 2022, 2006, 1997, and 1978.

As if to underscore how difficult being an NFL head coach is, only two of those coaches hired in 2022 (Minnesota's Kevin O'Connell and Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles) still have their jobs. Both will enter next season on the hot seat after disappointing finishes to this season.

But for now, O'Connell, Bowles, and 20 other coaches remain safe. The remaining ten? Not so much. Here's who's been fired (or resigned) this season—and unless the two sides agreed to a buyout or other negotiation, they'll still be owed the money left on their contracts.

John Harbaugh (L) and Mike Tomlin are no longer with their current teams. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Coaches Fired During The Season

Brian Callahan, Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans had the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, so nobody was expecting greatness. Still, Titans ownership thought the team would do a little bit better than they did. Instead, the Titans got off to a 1-5 start, and the team relieved Callahan of his duties after just 23 games in charge. He finished his Titans tenure—his first head coaching gig—with a 4-19 record. Tennessee didn't improve much after firing him, ending the season tied with the league's worst record at 3-14.

Brian Daboll, New York Giants

Brian Daboll was one of those coaches hired in 2022, and he looked like a slam dunk during his first season. He led the Giants to a 9-7-1 finish, which included a postseason berth and an NFC Wild Card victory over the Minnesota Vikings. But Daboll and the Giants could never equal that level of success. After a 6-11 season in 2023, the Giants finished last in the NFC East at 3-14 in 2024. This year, the Giants began 2-8 before the team had seen enough and fired Daboll. Over three-plus seasons, he won less than a third of his games, posting a 20-40-1 record.

Coaches Fired On The Final Day Of The Season Or Black Monday

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, an opportunity to find discounts (whether real or inflated ones) on just about anything. Black Monday is a little less cheery—it's the first day after the NFL regular season ends, and typically it's a time when several coaches get fired.

This year was no different, with five coaches losing their jobs from the time Week 18 ended by the end of Black Monday, January 5, 2026.

Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders

Pete Carroll had some fantastic teams over 14 years with the Seattle Seahawks and, before that, nine years with the USC Trojans in college. The Raiders were hoping for some of Carroll's classic gum-chewing manic energy, but he couldn't overcome a rough roster. The Raiders did post one of the most perplexing results of the season, defeating the New England Patriots in a Week 1 matchup. The Patriots wound up 14-3, while the Raiders finished 3-14. Over nine seasons at USC, Carroll only lost 19 games total. He made it just one year in Las Vegas before losing his job.

Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals

During Jonathan Gannon's first season, the Cardinals finished 4-13 and last in the NFC West. In 2024, the team seemed to be making positive improvements. They finished third in their division at 8-9 and were even in first place in the NFC West heading into their bye in Week 11. Any kind of momentum did not carry over to 2025, however. Gannon's Cardinals went 3-14, including a loss to fellow last place team Tennessee in a game the Cardinals led 21-3. The Cardinals fired Gannon after a 15-36 record over three seasons.

John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

John Harbaugh had been coaching the Ravens since 2008. He was a fixture on the Baltimore sideline and led the team to a Super Bowl, four AFC Championship Games, and 12 playoff appearances. He was the winningest coach in Ravens' history with a 180-113 record, but sometimes, teams and coaches just need a change of scenery. After the Ravens lost on a last-second missed field goal during the final game of the regular season, Baltimore relieved Harbaugh of his duties. He immediately became a top head coaching candidate and agreed to a deal with the Giants less than two weeks after the Ravens fired him.

Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons finished the season at 8-9, good enough for a three-way tie for first in the NFC South. However, the team had been eliminated from postseason contention for nearly a month, so the results were largely academic. Back-to-back 8-9 records are good enough to contend in the NFC South, but not good enough to hold a job. Morris had previously coached the Falcons as an interim coach in 2020, finishing with a 4-7 record. His second stint ended 16-18. Morris was fired alongside general manager Terry Fontenot hours after his team's final game.

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski was another coach who got off to a hot start. The Browns went 11-5 in his debut season in 2020 and defeated the bitter AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. A close loss to the Chiefs in the Divisional Round provided cause for optimism. Alas, the Browns turned out to be a model of inconsistency over the next half decade. The team only posted one more winning season, an 11-6 campaign with a late-year signing of Joe Flacco leading a magical run to the playoffs. After another last-place finish in the division this year, Stefanski got fired during Black Monday. He didn't have to wait long for his next gig, however—the Falcons signed him to be their head coach on January 17.

Coaches Fired/Resigned During The Playoffs

Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins

Mike McDaniel brought a quirky, exciting energy to the Dolphins. His first two years were a breath of fresh air for a long-suffering fanbase. Two winning seasons, two playoff appearances. During McDaniel's third season, the Dolphins got knocked out of playoff contention during the final week. This year, Miami finished 1-6 before rallying to wind up at 7-10. That wasn't enough to save McDaniel's job, and the team fired him on January 8—even though he helped them in their search for a new general manager. McDaniel had a 35-33 record in four seasons with the Dolphins.

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers made the playoffs after defeating the Ravens in Week 18, though their stay in the postseason was short-lived. Pittsburgh lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans in a game where the Texans scored multiple defensive touchdowns. After the loss, Mike Tomlin—who had coached the Steelers since 2007—announced to an emotional locker room that he was going to step down as head coach. Tomlin had 193 regular-season wins and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers.

Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills

Sean McDermott got the Bills to the playoffs in eight out of nine seasons as head coach, including two AFC Championship Games. Before McDermott got hired in 2017, the Bills hadn't made the playoffs since the 1999 season. But his teams could never get over the hump and reach a Super Bowl. This year, a five turnover game and some questionable decision-making (especially at the end of the first half) against the Denver Broncos ultimately cost McDermott his job. He departs with a 98-50 record.