The 40 Most Underachieving NFL Head Coaches Of All Time, Ranked

If you want to become a legendary head coach, you have to win games. Jeff Fisher? He's remembered for doing the opposite. While he did manage to amass 173 regular season wins over his 22 years in the league, he also finished with 165 losses, tied for the most all-time. And following six consecutive losing seasons — five of which made up his entire stint with the St. Louis Rams — Fisher was canned 13 games into the 2016 campaign.

In 1942 Walt Kiesling led the Steelers to a 7-4 record, the first winning season in the team's nine-year history. Too bad he went 4-15-4 in the three seasons prior... Then, following stints as co-coach of the Steagles and Card-Pitt — temporary teams made up of the men who didn't go off to fight in World War II — Kiesling returned to Pittsburgh and ended his coaching career with a record of 30-55-5. He also famously released NFL legend Johnny Unitas before he'd even played a snap for the team.

It may seem strange to see a Hall of Famer and two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner on this list, but Iron Mike's three seasons with the New Orleans Saints were nothing short of disastrous. Ditka's tenure in the Big Easy was marred by his quick temper and questionable personnel choices, and after posting a 15-33 record, he was unceremoniously fired. Afterward, Ditka declared he'd never coach again.

Nick Saban may arguably be the best college football coach of all time, but he was far from legendary at the pro level. Despite a promising 9-7 record in his first year, the Dolphins whiffed by trading for the injury-riddled Daunte Culpepper instead of signing future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. That ultimately led to a quarterback carousel and Saban's very first losing season at 6-10. And no sooner did the 2006 campaign end than Saban accepted the head coaching job at Alabama. The rest is history.

In Bobby Petrino's defense, he couldn't have known that Michael Vick was about to be indicted on dogfighting charges when he accepted the Atlanta Falcons head coaching gig. What he can be blamed for, however, is the way he skipped town after going 3-10 in his first season, ditching the Falcons to become the head coach at Arkansas. Instead of meeting with his players face-to-face to deliver the news, Petrino left letters at each of their lockers. Talk about classless.

Mike Singletary may have been feared on the football field — but not so much behind the coach's clipboard. Taking over for Mike Nolan after he was fired nine games into the 2008 season, Singletary made an immediate statement in his debut. Outrageously, he dropped his pants at halftime to let his team know what he thought of their play. The Hall of Famer then went on to amass an 18-22 record over two and a half seasons before being fired in December 2010.

Romeo Crennel finds himself on this list more as a victim of circumstance, as the veteran coach was beloved by his players while in Cleveland. He even managed a 10-6 season in 2007 and developed a number of Pro Bowlers during his Browns tenure, though his 14 wins and 34 losses across his other three seasons ultimately led to his firing in 2008. And considering Crennel only managed an 8-23 record during his later stints with the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, it's clear he wasn't cut out for head coaching duties.

For a franchise as celebrated as the Cowboys, losing isn't taken too lightly. Still, Dave Campo managed to hang on for three consecutive 5-11 seasons before earning a one-way ticket out of Jerry World. Even today, Campo is still the only Cowboys head coach to never have a winning season or reach the playoffs.

To be fair, John McKay took the reigns of the Bucs when they were just entering the league as an expansion team — though the fact he went 0-26 to start his pro career wasn't exactly encouraging. McKay managed to somewhat right the ship with three playoff berths and a conference championship appearance at the turn of the decade. Still, after compiling a 44-88-1 record over nine years, he opted to step down after the 1984 season.

Richie Petitbon's rapid fall from grace is yet another reminder that good coordinators don't always make good coaches. Elevated from defensive coordinator following Joe Gibbs' retirement and just two years removed from a Super Bowl win, Petitbon floundered as his aging squad posted a 4-12 record. He was fired after just one season, and the formerly promising coaching prospect was never hired in the league again.

Considering Leeman Bennett was selling RVs before the Bucs hired him, most of us could've seen this one coming. Sure, he'd had success with the Atlanta Falcons, leading them to three playoff berths between 1979 and 1982, but as John McKay's successor in Tampa, he continued the franchise's losing ways. After posting back-to-back 2-14 seasons, Bennett was canned in December 1986.

After leading the newly founded Carolina Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC Championship Game in just his second season as head coach, Dom Capers seemed primed for a long and illustrious career. Then the wheels fell off. Capers proceeded to post an 11-21 record over the next two seasons and was fired in 1998, though he was handed the reigns of yet another expansion team, the Houston Texans, three years later. With Houston, Capers only managed 18 wins to 46 losses over four seasons, proving that head coaching just wasn't for him.

The NFL has seen plenty of one-and-done coaches, but you have to admire the way Les Steckel went out. After taking over from the newly retired Bud Grant in 1984, Steckel led the Vikings to a 3-13 record — tied for the worst in franchise history — before general manager Mike Lynn asked for his resignation. Steckel refused to resign, however, leading him and his entire staff to be fired outright.

Yes, he did have the unfortunate privilege of coaching Ryan Leaf for a season, but Kevin Gilbride's short tenure in the Golden State was the definition of underperformance. Known in the past for his offensive prowess, Gilbride coached the team to a 6-16 record, with his Chargers consistently ranking in the bottom of the league in offense. Having produced just 22 scores over 22 games, Gilbride was fired during the 1998 season.

Marion Campbell's pedigree as a player was likely the only thing that kept him employed, yet the fact that the Swamp Fox managed to hold down a head coaching gig for nine seasons is straight-up embarrassing. Over two stints with the Falcons and three years with the Eagles, Campbell managed to post a 34-80-1 record and never had a winning season. By the time he stepped down following the 1989 campaign, Campbell had the worst record among coaches with at least 100 games in league history.

It's no surprise Washington has made some personnel blunders over the years — especially when you consider who owns the team — but the Steve Spurrier era was a particularly rocky one. The former Florida Gators head coach surrounded himself with inexperienced college personnel, and frequent clashes with owner Dan Snyder led him to lose control over which athletes were playing in games. Following the 2003 season, Spurrier resigned after just two years, posting a 12-20 record.

Mike Tice's time in Minnesota was unspectacular, with a 33-34 record and a two-game playoff run to show for it. But that's not why he's on this list. The head coach was involved in two separate scandals while with the Vikings, the first being a Super Bowl ticket-scalping operation that ultimately cost him $100,000. His second blunder came when, under his watch, several Vikings players were charged with hosting a sex party on houseboats during the team's bye week. Not a great look.

While the Bill Belichick coaching tree has produced a number of quality head coaches, Josh McDaniels is one of several exceptions. His time with the Broncos was rocky from the start, with the tensions between him and starting quarterback Jay Cutler leading the budding star to be traded. But McDaniels' biggest offense came in November 2010, when his director of video operations was caught illegally filming a San Francisco 49ers practice. McDaniels was fired shortly after with a record of 11-17 over less than two seasons.

Son of legendary Hall of Famer Don, Dave Shula was named Cincy's head coach in 1992 and quickly proved to be in way over his head. Over four and a half seasons, he compiled a 19-52 record and set the mark for the fastest coach to 50 losses in NFL history. Unsurprisingly, he hasn't found a job in the league since then.

Both the Giants and the Jets have been cursed with some bad coaches over the last decade, and Pat Shurmur is certainly near the top of the list. With his mismanagement of personnel and poor playcalling, Big Blue won nine games and dropped 23. At 19-46 — he also coached the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles — Shurmur's .292 career win percentage is the seventh-lowest of all time.

True, having Blake Bortles as your starting quarterback isn't exactly a recipe for success, but Gus Bradley was far from able to make lemonade out of lemons. From 2013 to 2016, Bradley never won more than five games in a season. He finished his time in Jacksonville with a paltry 14-48 record and a .226 win percentage — the worst for coaches who've seen at least 50 games since 1967.

Despite a successful college coaching career, Frank Kush's NFL tenure will forever be tied to two things: John Elway and losing. Following an 0-8-1 record in his debut season, he and the Colts selected Elway with the first-overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. However, Elway never took a snap for the Colts, as he refused to play under Kush's strict coaching style. After reaching an 11-28-1 career record, Kush quit the league in 1984.

Fresh off a 12-4 season, the defensive mastermind behind the Giants' legendary Super Bowl XLII upset was rewarded with the Rams head coaching gig in 2009. That turned out to be a big mistake. Spags went 1-15 in his first year — the worst season in franchise history — before improving to 7-9 in 2010. Unfortunately, he resumed his losing ways the following season, posting a 2-14 record. Spagnuolo was ultimately fired with a total of 10 wins and 38 losses during his Rams tenure.

Ray Handley had some pretty big shoes to fill in the wake of Bill Parcells' retirement, and he rose to the occasion by taking a team that'd just won the Super Bowl and dragging them down to a 14-18 record over two seasons. Along the way, Handley benched starting quarterback Phil Simms, clashed with both the media and fans, and hired Rod Rust to run his defense. Following his firing in December 1992, Handley never coached again.

History will forever remember Bert Bell as the man who made football the most popular and profitable sport in America. And he should be thankful, as otherwise he would've been regarded as one of the worst coaches of all time. Back in the days when coaches and owners were almost always one and the same, Bell compiled a horrid 10-46-2 record between stretches with the Eagles and the Steelers. Clearly, he was better suited to be behind a desk than on a football field.

It's hard to find a fanbase more unforgiving than in New York, but Adam Gase certainly deserved every bit of criticism he got. Taking the reigns of the franchise in January 2019, Gase led Gang Green to a 7-9 record before posting a 2-14 record in 2020. That began with 13 straight losses, and it was just shy of the worst season in Jets history. Gase was let go just three days into 2021.

The 2007 New England Patriots were the first team in history to win all 16 regular-season games. Then, a year later, Rod Marinelli pulled off a feat that was just as impressive: he became the first head coach to lose every single game. Unsurprisingly, Marinelli was fired after his 0-16 campaign, having compiled a 10-38 record with the Lions and one of the worst winning percentages in history at .208.

When the owner of a franchise publicly says that a head coach has "disgraced" the organization, it's safe to say that'll probably be their last job in the NFL. Such was the case for Lane Kiffin, whose pathetic 5-15 record with the Raiders was overshadowed by clashes with his own personnel as well as team owner Al Davis. After his firing in September 2008, Kiffin filed a grievance against the Raiders, though the team was found to have cause for the termination. Just a mess all around.

Helming an expansion franchise in their inaugural season is never an easy task, but Chris Palmer made it seem a heck of a lot harder when he became head coach of the newly reestablished Cleveland Browns in 1999. The inexperienced Palmer went 5-27, with his poor coaching style and a lack of roster talent dooming him after just two seasons. Palmer was also responsible for drafting quarterback Tim Couch — a decision that led the Browns to change QBs a staggering 29 more times over the next 19 years.

Dennis Allen's hiring as head coach of the Raiders was about as questionable as could be. Having only spent one year as the coordinator of a porous Denver Broncos defense, Allen was brought to Oakland and subsequently posted an 8-24 record in his first two seasons. Then, after starting the 2014 campaign at 0-4, he was unceremoniously sacked. Clearly, he was far too green for the job.

The early '00s were rough for the Detroit Lions, and many of those struggles had to do with terrible coaching. Marty Mornhinweg seemed to have all the tools to succeed when he inherited a 9-7 Lions team in 2001, yet he managed to start his tenure in Detroit 0-12. He followed that up with a 3-13 season the next year. And after compiling a 5-27 record — including 0-16 on the road — Mornhinweg was given his walking papers.

Making the jump from college football to the NFL may not seem like a big deal, but Lou Holtz was completely out of his element. Taking the helm of the Jets in 1976, the North Carolina State coach attempted to introduce college gimmicks to his regime, which ultimately resulted in a 3-13 start to the season. He resigned shortly after, claiming, "God did not put Lou Holtz on this earth to coach in the pros."

If the best record you can pull off at the college level is a mediocre 5-5-1, then chances are you're not meant for the big leagues. Yet Rod Dowhower made the leap from Stanford to the NFL in 1980 — first as an offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and then as the head coach of the Colts in '85. After beginning his tenure with a 5-11 record, Dowhower followed up by losing the first 13 games of the 1986 season. That got him booted out of Indianapolis.

In the wake of Nick Saban's abrupt exit from Miami, Cam Cameron was called upon to turn the franchise around. Instead, he ran it into the ground. The offensive guru began his Dolphins tenure by dropping 13 straight games, finishing the season with a horrendous 1-15 result. And after Bill Parcels took over as vice president of football operations and Jeff Ireland was selected as general manager, Cameron was kicked to the curb after just one season.

As one of college football's most decorated head coaches, Urban Meyer seemed a no-brainer choice to develop rookie Trevor Lawrence into an NFL star and return the Jacksonville Jaguars to relevance. Well, those expectations faded fast. Between an abysmal 2-11 record, allegations of abuse by his players, and an infamous video of him groping a woman at a bar, Meyer was out the door faster than he walked in.

Adam Gase may have given the Jets their second-worst season in franchise history, but Rich Kotite had the privilege of being the mastermind behind a 1-15 nightmare in 1996. This was on the heels of a 3-13 record the year prior, so it came as no surprise when Kotite stepped down after just two seasons. Ultimately, he had a 4-28 record and a measly .125 winning percentage.

These days, it's hard to picture the Patriots having a bad season. But during Rod Rust's single year in New England, the Pats went 1-15 — the worst record in franchise history. The team lost 14 consecutive games — including 11 by double digits — and their abysmal -265 point differential still ranks as the third-worst of all time. Rust was promptly fired after the 1990 season.

Remember Rod Marinelli's 0-16 campaign? Hue Jackson must've seen it and said, "Hold my beer." After a 1-15 start to his Browns tenure in 2016, Jackson proceeded to lose all 16 games of the 2017 season and was subsequently fired after a 2-5-1 start the following year. All told, Jackson posted a 3-36-1 record with the Browns, which still stands as the worst single-team head coaching record of all time for a coach who's seen at least 40 games.

Bill Peterson is remembered for his innovations in college football, but even he couldn't help but sputter when he made the leap to the NFL in 1972. His one and a half seasons with the Oilers were straight-up embarrassing, with his squad posting just one win and 18 losses. His .053 winning percentage stands as the worst among coaches who held the job for at least a season since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970. That's a historic level of bad.

They say one man's trash is another man's treasure, and that was pretty much the case with Ray McLean and the 1958 Packers. Elevated after the firing of Lisle Blackburn, McLean sank the team to the worst record in franchise history despite having six future Hall of Famers on the roster. But his time in Green Bay ultimately proved to be a godsend. With the Packers teetering on the edge of collapse, the franchise extended near-complete control of the team to Vince Lombardi. He, of course, is one of the all-time greats, but there is one area in which Lombardi pales in comparison to modern coaches...

We're talking about his paycheck. Lombardi's contract earned him $36,000 annually — which would be over $300,000 today — but even fresh-faced coaches make well above that these days. Brian Flores was paid handsomely for moving from the New England Patriots to the Miami Dolphins in 2019 —an annual salary of $3 million, to be exact. And the coach soon proved he was worth the money. While the Dolphins were only predicted to win two games max in their first season under Flores, they actually emerged victorious five times. Then, the following season, he steered them to within a whisker of the playoffs. Despite a competitive 2021 season, though, Flores was unexpectedly canned.

Mike Vrabel is renowned for his ability to motivate. He has a trademark intensity that is matched by few of his peers. And so it came as little surprise when he moved from player to coach. The NFL veteran, who racked up 14 seasons on the field, made an impressive start to his career on the sidelines. Vrabel recorded a 29-19 total during his opening three years with the Tennessee Titans.

Kyle Shanahan impressed many with his stints for the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Football Team as an offensive coordinator. That included the San Francisco Giants, who offered him the chance to make the step up to head coach. Shanahan then steered his players all the way to the Super Bowl in the 2019 season. Sadly, injuries to vital playmakers have plagued his team for his other three years in charge.

Some experts consider Kevin Stefanski’s $3.5 million annual salary to be relatively low given what he’s achieved. The coach steered the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff in 18 years in 2002. That same season he was also awarded the AP Coach of the Year. But Stefanski’s pay packet will no doubt bulge when extension talks come into play.

Mike Zimmer has been one of the NFL’s most consistent coaches over the last decade. Some would say most consistently average, though. The Minnesota Vikings have only reached the playoffs on three occasions under Zimmer’s leadership. But in his defense, he’s always guided the team to at least seven victories every season, though that didn't save his job in 2021.

You’d expect a coach who guided the Green Bay Packers to their Super Bowl XLV triumph and ten playoff victories to be a little higher up this list. Still, $4 million per annum will still put bread on the table. After a 13-season stint with the Packers, McCarthy was tapped in 2020 by the Dallas Cowboys.

Zac Taylor’s coaching career with the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t have the most auspicious of starts. He could only record a 6-25-1 tally during his first two seasons with the franchise. But some believe that the relatively youthful Taylor will justify his $4.5 million salary as he gains more experience as a head coach.

Under Frank Reich, the Indianapolis Colts have changed starting quarterbacks almost as often as they have changed their jerseys. Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz have all enjoyed a mere season-a-piece in the role. But despite such turbulence, Reich has still managed to steer the team to one visit to the playoffs, where they won their opening game.

Vic Fangio is living proof that good things can come to those who wait. The NFL veteran was aged 61 when he was finally entrusted with a head coaching role. The Denver Broncos were the team that gave the long-time defensive coordinator a long-deserved promotion in 2019. Fangio has so far struggled, though, to justify his $5 million per annum salary, and Denver did let him go after failing to find consistent success.

One of several coaches to have benefited from the rise of Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur impressed many with his first two remarkably similar years guiding the Green Bay Packers. Yes, the franchise was losing NFC title finalists in both seasons and also posted the same 13-3 tally, too. LaFleur’s biggest test will undoubtedly be the impending departure of star man Aaron Rodgers.

Formerly the special teams’ coordinator for the New England Patriots, Joe Judge blindsided many NFL fans when he moved to the New York Giants in 2020 as head coach. The franchise very nearly reached the playoffs under his guidance despite a debut season that finished with a record of 6-10. Joe’s bank balance also increased significantly following his surprise appointment.

Robert Saleh’s impressive annual salary perhaps gives a clue to the daunting challenge ahead. You have to go back to 2015 for the last time that the New York Jets enjoyed a winning season. The franchise are now pinning all their hopes on the former San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator to bring their drought to an end.

Kliff Klingsbury has become just as famous for his luxurious pad as his achievements in the NFL. The head coach was able to afford the property that became a viral hit in 2020 thanks to his appointment as the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach. Klingsbury has made solid progress since making the move from Texas Tech in 2019. His first season record of 5-10-1 was followed by an impressive improvement to 8-8 in 2020.

Ron Rivera established his coaching prowess with the Carolina Panthers during a nine-season spell which included a 2015 NFC title. But his biggest paycheck arrived when he was poached by the Washington Football Team. Rivera, who now earns $7 million per annum, steered the franchise into the playoffs after winning the NFC East in his first year, admittedly still with a losing 7-9 record.

Bruce Arians has impressively managed to achieve success with every franchise he’s coached. In 2021 he steered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory at the Super Bowl. Before that Arians led the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted an impressive 49-30 tally. But his first major feat was picking up the AP Coach of the Year when he took the reins from Chuck Pagano at the Indianapolis Colts.

Hailed as one of the finest offensive coaches in the modern era, Andy Reid earned his glowing reputation during a 14-year spell guiding the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL veteran then moved to the Kansas City Chiefs, who soon drafted one Patrick Mahomes, now a bona fide star quarterback. The pair have been instrumental in the franchise’s two Super Bowl appearances and three consecutive AFC title encounters.

Mike Tomlin has spent an impressive 15 seasons as Pittsburgh Steelers’ head coach. And he’s been well rewarded for his longevity and loyalty, with his annual pay packet now topping $8 million. Tomlin has twice guided the franchise to the Super Bowl, winning the trophy in only his second season. The Steelers have also made no fewer than nine postseasons under his guidance.

Sean McVay was only 30 years young when the Los Angeles Rams appointed him as head coach in 2017, an NFL record. The high achiever quickly proved he was more than just a statistic when he steered the franchise to the NFC title in his first season. His instant success also inspired several other teams to look for similarly attack-minded and youthful coaches.

The Carolina Panthers were obviously determined to sign Matt Rhule as their new head coach in 2020. They offered the Baylor University man a cool $8.5 million per annum and a seven-year contract to make the move. As you would expect, these incentives tempted Rhule, who is now responsible for overseeing the Panthers’ long-term team restructuring.

It’s difficult to argue that John Harbaugh isn’t worth every cent of the $9 million he earns every year. Since being appointed the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach in 2009 he’s only finished one season with a losing record! John also steered the franchise to victory at the Super Bowl in 2013; oddly enough, this was against a San Francisco 49ers team coached by his sibling Jim!

Only one man has spent more time coaching the same team in the modern NFL era than Sean Payton. The football veteran has remained with the New Orleans Saints ever since they appointed him way back in 2006. Payton steered the franchise to a Super Bowl win four years later and has ensured that they’ve posted at least seven victories every single season.

Pete Carroll has shown that age ain’t nothing but a number during his decade-plus spell at the Seattle Seahawks. The football veteran is the oldest head coach in the NFL but has led his franchise to two Super Bowls, winning the first against the Denver Broncos. Carroll’s also guided the Seahawks to the playoffs in no fewer than nine seasons. Little wonder that he’s been signed up to stay until 2025!

Of course, there was only ever going to be one name at the top of the NFL head coach rich list. Bill Belichick has been with the New England Patriots for more than 20 years and guided them to no fewer than six Super Bowls. If that wasn’t enough Belichick also boasts the highest number of playoff victories ever and has been awarded the AP Coach of the Year on three occasions.