Three First-Year Coaches That Could be on the Hot Seat

We have already seen two head coaches get fired this season. Carolina’s Matt Rhule was let go five weeks into the season. Meanwhile, Indianapolis’ Frank Reich has got canned at the halfway point of the year. But then there are the first-year coaches, many of them not doing too hot. And since they are not hot on the field, their seats could be warming up (or perhaps hot to the touch.)

Nathaniel Hackett- Denver Broncos (3-9)

There is no sugarcoating how disappointing the Broncos have been this season. They are currently 3-9. They lost last Sunday on a last-minute comeback drive in Baltimore, sans Lamar Jackson. And the offense has been abysmal this year with Russell Wilson leading the group. Nathaniel Hackett was hired from Green Bay for his offensive mind, but

The Broncos rank dead last in scoring offense, only averaging 13.8 points per game. And there does not seem to be much of a solution in sight. They rank 21st in passing yards per game, 29th in sacks allowed, and 31st in passing touchdowns. On the ground, they are only 24th in rushing yards per game. Unbecoming of a Russell Wilson-led offense. Hackett has already given up his play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Another issue is that the chemistry of the team does not appear too great. In the loss to the Carolina Panthers, defensive tackle Mike Purcell was seen yelling at Wilson on the sideline. When Melvin Gordon was released after a late fumble cost them a win versus Las Vegas, Gordon appeared excited to leave. And the losses keep racking up, losing eight of their last nine.

Nathaniel Hackett’s seat: Boiling Hot

Josh McDaniels- Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)

Similar to Hackett, Josh McDaniels is a first-year coach leading an underachieving football team.

After making the playoffs in the 2021 season, perhaps off of destiny considering their off-field troubles, McDaniels was brought in. And at 5-8, it is safe to say that it has not worked out this year. The biggest problem is that this team cannot hold leads very well. In fact, they have lost four games this season alone when leading by 13 points.

Let’s not forget that the Raiders lost a home game to the Colts led by Jeff Saturday, who never coached professional football before that game. To add insult to injury, the Colts have lost three straight games since that win. On Thursday, they lost to the Rams after leading 16-3 in the fourth quarter, while the opponent’s quarterback was Baker Mayfield. Mayfield, not only one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this year, as far as QBR goes, but he was just brought in days before from Carolina.

After the Colts loss, owner Mark Davis came out publicly to back McDaniels, but it is valid to ask how long he can keep this up. Losses like the one Thursday night are almost guaranteed to land a coach on the hot seat.

Josh Mcdaniels’ Seat: Bubbling

Lovie Smith-Houston Texans (1-10-1)

On the surface, it seems unfair for Lovie Smith to be featured here. This Texans team is just not very talented, they do not have a long-term option at quarterback on the roster, and they do not have many expectations. Overall, they are just trying to rebuild from the Bill O’Brien years.

So why is Lovie Smith on this list? First, the Texans have shown before that they will fire a first-year head coach. Just last season, the Texans fired David Culley after going 4-13 in a season where they were projected as the worst in the NFL.  But secondly, they are 1-10-1. and this team’s losses are starting to get ugly. Early in the season, four of the team’s six losses came within one possession. This does not include their season-opening tie against the Colts. However, four of the last five losses are double digits. Most recently, the Texans lost to a Browns team who was starting their former franchise quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who has not played since 2020. In addition, the team gave up 27 points to Cleveland, none of which being offensive scores.

Smith likely deserves more leeway considering where this franchise is at the moment. Honestly, this team is just not very talented as a roster. But at the same time, it will be interesting to see how long of a leash Smith gets as a veteran head coach.

Lovie Smith’s Seat: Warming up