Following the conclusion of the NFL season Sunday, six coaches were fired, including Vance Joseph.
Joseph was let go Monday morning after the Broncos finished 6-10, just a one-win improvement over Joseph’s first season in Denver.
Broncos GM John Elway made the decision despite several players, including star Von Miller, voicing opinions that said they wanted Joseph to return for a third season. Instead, Broncos GM John Elway decided to embark on a search for his fourth head coach in six seasons.
Joseph was one of six head coaches around the league to lose their jobs following the conclusion of disappointing seasons. A full list of fired coaches is listed below:
- The New York Jets fired Todd Bowles Sunday following the team’s 38-3 loss to the Patriots. Bowles coached in New York for four years and went 24-40 in his time as head coach. He went 10-6 in his first season, but never had a winning season in the three seasons afterward.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired Dirk Koetter after three seasons as the Bucs head coach. Koetter started with a 9-7 record in his first season, but finished 5-11 in his last two seasons as head coach. Koetter finished with a 19-29 record.
- The Cincinnati Bengals parted ways with Marvin Lewis after 16 seasons and no playoff victories. The decision follows a 5-11 season that included nine losses in the Bengals’ last 11 games.
- The Miami Dolphins dismissed coach Adam Gase after three seasons and reassigned executive vice president of football operations, Mike Tannenbaum, after the team missed the playoffs for the 15th time in 17 years. The Dolphins made the AFC playoffs at 10-6 in Gase’s first season, but they are a combined 13-19 since then.
- Steve Wilks was let go after just one year and three wins as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. It was the franchise’s worst record in 18 years and the poorest in the NFL this season.
Those teams and the Broncos aren’t the only teams looking to fill head coaching vacancies. The Green Bay Packers fired Mike McCarthy and the Cleveland Browns fired Hue Jackson earlier this season. Both teams are looking for permanent replacements.
Broncos Analyst Ryan Harris said he thinks the Broncos will consider hiring former Titans Head Coach Mike Munchak and former Cardinals head coach Ken Wisenhunt.
Munchak is the offensive line coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Wisenhunt currently serves as offensive coordinator with the Chargers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos have asked for permission to interview Munchak, along with the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers.
