Tracking head coaches fired after 2022 NFL season originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Sunday marked the end of the 2022 NFL regular season, and some teams are not wasting time when it comes to major changes.
One organization fired its head coach mere hours after its Week 18 game, and another coach was fired on Black Monday. Three other franchises canned their coaches during the regular season, leaving the coaching carousel spinning.
Here is a running list of the coaches who have been fired this year, beginning with one who lost his job on Black Monday.
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Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim are no longer with the Cardinals less than a year after inking long-term contract extensions.
The team announced on Monday that it was parting ways with Kingsbury and that Keim was stepping away as general manager to focus on his health. Just last March, both of them signed deals that were set to keep them in Arizona through 2027.
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Kingsbury ends his first head coaching tenure with a 28-37-1 record across four seasons. The Cardinals finished last in the NFC West this season at 4-13 and is positioned with the No. 3 pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
Lovie Smith, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans will begin the 2023 regular season with their fifth head coach in four years.
The team announced at 11:07 p.m. ET on Sunday that it had fired Lovie Smith. The move came just hours after the Texans stunned the Indianapolis Colts with a win that cost themselves the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Houston finished the season with a 3-13-1 record.
Houston has been home to a coaching carousel dating back to 2020. The team fired Bill O’Brien a month into that season with Romeo Crennel filling in for the rest of the year. It then hired David Culley for 2021, only to fire him after the season. Smith stepped in for the vacancy, which is now open once again.
Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos
Nathaniel Hackett lasted just 15 games as head coach of the Denver Broncos, making him the third and final head coach to be fired midseason.
The team brought in Hackett to replace Vic Fangio, who was fired on the final day of the 2021 NFL regular season after three seasons in charge. Despite trading for Russell Wilson and bringing in a new voice on the sideline, the Broncos’ season fell drastically short of expectations.
Hackett ended a 4-11 tenure with a 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day. The team announced the following day that it moved on from Hackett, and it split the final two games of the regular season under interim head coach Jerry Rosburg.
Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts made a surprising coaching change during the regular season.
The team announced on Nov. 7 that it had parted ways with Frank Reich, who was hired in 2018. Indy was 3-5-1 to start the season, bringing Reich’s overall record to 40-33-1.
While the Reich move could be seen as surprising, it doesn’t compare to the shock of the Colts’ ensuing move. Shortly after Reich was fired, the team announced it had hired Jeff Saturday as interim coach. The former Colts center turned ESPN analyst proceeded to lead the team to a 1-7 record to close out the regular season.
Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers made the first move of this season’s head coaching cycle.
After a 1-4 start, the team fired Matt Rhule. The now-Nebraska head coach finished his Panthers tenure with an overall record of 11-27 from 2020 to 2022.
Steve Wilks stepped in as the Panthers’ interim head coach, and he went 6-6 to close out the season.
