While the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year for most Americans, some men have to endure one day that’s a little longer. The first Monday after the end of the NFL’s regular season is infamously known as “Black Monday”, and it’s the day when most franchises decide whether or not they plan to keep a head coach moving into the next season. Every owner does things differently, with varying expectations and patience, but the one thing that is guaranteed every year is that someone will lose their job. The following teams have already fired their coaches this season: Philadelphia Eagles (Chip Kelly), Tennessee Titans (Ken Whisenhunt), and Miami Dolphins (Joe Philbin), but there’s reason to believe that a few more coaches will be fired on Black Monday.
COACHES WHO WILL BE FIRED ON BLACK MONDAY
Chuck Pagano
There’s no question that the Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most disappointing teams in 2015. With stud quarterback Andrew Luck getting offensive help in free agency and the draft, many experts predicted the Colts would be Super Bowl contenders. Instead, they’ll be lucky if they can squeeze by at 8-8 in the worst division in pro football. Of course, Pagano’s had some bad luck, when he’s had Luck at all. His star quarterback was injured when the season started, and he never got better. To quote another Colts head coach, “No excuses, no explanations”. The Colts will fire Pagano and likely pursue a high profile offensive head coach.
Mike McCoy
As the head coach of the San Diego Chargers, Mike McCoy has been mediocre at best. Back to back 9-7 wins were OK (at best), but the 2015 Chargers have been terrible. Other than the career year that quarterback Philip Rivers has been having, McCoy doesn’t have much to show for this season. When first-round pick, running back Melvin Gordon, did finally get on the field, his performances were underwhelming. This season, the former Wisconsin Badger has fumbled six times and he has failed to reach the endzone. The Spanos family has shown historically to be impatient, and will likely let McCoy go.
Sean Payton
The old adage of “What have you done for me lately” may not have been invented by the NFL, but it certainly applies. Despite five division titles and a Super Bowl championship, as well as coaching one of the most explosive offenses in football for the last decade, it appears Sean Payton’s time in New Orleans may be up. It has been three years since Paytons’ Saints had a winning record, and ownership has begun trading anyone with value as they begin rebuilding.
Tom Coughlin
Much like Payton, enough time has passed for Tom Coughlin. It’s been five years since the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, or even had a winning record, and it might be time for the organization to go in a different direction. The defense has been terrible, the run game has been inconsistent, and while wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been spectacular, you can’t win championships on one handed catches alone. Coughlin will be 70 years old when the 2016 season starts, and if New York wants to get the most out of quarterback Eli Manning’s remaining years, they need to make a change.
Jason Garrett
For an owner as impulsive as Jerry Jones, it’s shocking that he has stuck with Jason Garrett as long as he has. With the exception of the 2014 season, he’s never had a winning record or even sniffed the postseason, even though his roster has featured quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten, and a myriad of extremely talented players. Some people might blame Romo’s injuries for their failures this year, but it’s no secret that under Garrett, the Cowboys have failed to be half the team that they were under Wade Phillips.
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