It's almost that time of year again. Even though the New Year brings feelings of hope, for some NFL coaches, it means all hope in you is lost for those few particular franchises that choose to part ways. That's right, Black Monday is coming up, falling on January 4 for this 2015 NFL season. Following Week 17 action, a few coaches will undoubtedly be let go, but which ones? Here are five who could very well be gone.
5. Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis Colts
Let's just get started on the one that seems the most likely: Chuck Pagano. For a while now, it's seemed that the Colts and owner Jim Irsay were leaning toward this decision. Pagano was great for his time there, but the writing is on the wall. He will land on his feet, though, as I'd like to believe most NFL execs and analysts realize that the team's failures this year had to do more with injuries and roster-building decisions, rather than Pagano's coaching.
4. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers
This one kind of surprised me, as I was doing the research necessary to write this piece. However, there's a good chance that McCoy could be gone. There are talks of Sean Payton taking the job, assuming he is let go by the New Orleans Saints -- of that, I'm not too sure at this point. Either way, the axe may be falling on McCoy regardless of who's lined up for the position. It's sad too, because this year's struggles were definitely not all on him. The worst offensive line and a myriad of injuries have put the Chargers in such a non-competitive position. Hopefully McCoy finds another spot somewhere; if not, he'll likely end up as an offensive coordinator next season somewhere else.
3. Jim Tomsula, San Francisco 49ers
Really, I don't know how this one won't happen. If there's ever been a prime example of a stop-gap coach, here it is.
Tomsula never merited a head-coaching job, at least at this point in his career, and yet was given one when pretty much everyone else they could've had was off of the table. Perhaps it was for the best for both he and the 49ers franchise, though.
Think about this: the 49ers' front office had to of known this year was going to be a disaster no matter what. With that many defensive stars moving on or retiring, the offensive line regressing, Frank Gore leaving for Indy and questions as to who the quarterback of the future was, they didn't want to bring in a big-name coach only to see him fail. And from Tomsula's perspective, it's a good resume building block to have a full year of being a head coach under his belt.
A win-win, but it's time to move on.
2. Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions
Honestly, if I were Detroit, I wouldn't be getting rid of Caldwell. I don't particularly like him as a head coach, but what's happened this year is not his fault. And if anything, he's the reason why they've bounced back from a 1-7 start. But this is another case of the writing being on the wall, and purely because a new GM is yet to be brought in. But what do we know about teams that go through GM switches? It usually means a new coaching staff is soon to follow, and after a poor season that had high expectations (even if unrealistic after the offseason they had), that may mean Caldwell draws the short straw.
1. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants
Finally, the man who has kept his job despite calls for his firing for a long, long time. However, this may at last be the time for this man and team to part ways. Coughlin is about to complete his third-straight season of 7-9 or worse. He, of course, has a great say in building the roster and doing things his way. But with the way he handled the Odell Beckham Jr. situation a little over a week ago, plus the general lack of success, sometimes it's better to just move on.
The G-Men and their faithful are surely grateful for his time there and two Super Bowl rings, but this team needs a new voice and a direction. At this point in time, this would be the right move.
