Which NFL head coaches are casualties of the annual ritualistic sacking that arrives one day after the end of the regular season? Boardroom has your running count for Black Monday 2022.
Lo, may the solemn tradition be renewed.
Though this NFL regular season included 18 weeks for the very first time, the infernal thing we call BLACK MONDAY remains inevitable: the mass firing of NFL head coaches following seasons that just didn’t measure up to expectations.
Though several head coaches met their ends while the season was still going on — Jon Gruden in Las Vegas, Urban Meyer in Jacksonville — and one team didn’t wait for Sunday to be over to cut bait, Black Monday is officially here. Let’s keep a running count of the head coaches who found themselves fired.
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Which NFL Coaches Were Fired on Black Monday 2022?
Matt Nagy (Chicago Bears)
Hired: Jan. 8, 2018
2021 salary: $7 million
2021 record: 6-11
Overall record: 34-31 (four seasons)
In his first season as an NFL head coach, former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy led the Bears to a 12-4 record, earning an NFC North title and Coach of the Year honors from the AP. That was the first of two playoff appearances he’d make as boss man at Soldier Field, but he never managed to get past the Wild Card round — and a 6-11 2021 season was his weakest to date.
Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos)
Hired: Jan. 10, 2019
2021 salary: $5 million
2021 record: 7-10
Overall record: 19-30 (three seasons)
As alluded above the fold, it was actually confirmed on Sunday that Fangio’s time was done at Mile High. But we’re still including him in our Black Monday roundup for convenience. The Broncos finished second in the AFC West in the longtime NFL defensive coordinator’s first season in the big chair, but ultimately never posted a winning record or a playoff appearance under his leadership.
Brian Flores (Miami Dolphins)
Hired: Feb. 4, 2019
2021 salary: $3 million
2021 record: 9-8
Overall record: 24-25 (three seasons)
A trusted assistant for Bill Belichick’s Patriots for a solid decade, Brian Flores finally found his head coaching shot elsewhere in the AFC East — and it’s a bit of a surprise that he’s now going home packing. He capped his time in Miami with two straight winning seasons. Notably, the Fins finished the season on a furious 8-1 run, and Flores’ last game in charge was a spirited upset victory over those very same Patriots, a team that entered Week 18 in the hunt for the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed.
Mike Zimmer (Minnesota Vikings)
Hired: Jan. 15, 2014
2021 salary: $4 million
2021 record: 8-9
Overall record: 72-56 (eight seasons)
The longest-tenured coach on this year’s Black Monday list by a noticeable margin, the Mike Zimmer era in the Twin Cities is over after a run that included more playoff appearances (three) than losing seasons (two). The Minneapolis Miracle will live forever, but Zimmer’s tenure simply stagnated.
NFL Coaches Fired After “Black Monday” 2022
Joe Judge (New York Giants)
Hired: Jan. 8, 2020
Fired: Jan. 11, 2022
2021 salary: $5 million
2021 record: 4-13
Overall record: 10-23 (two seasons)
It took an extra day, but Joe Judge is out after just two seasons with the G-Men. A 6-10 record was good enough for a second-place finish in the wild NFC East one year ago, but the former Bill Belichick assistant couldn’t overcome 13 losses this time around.
David Culley (Houston Texans)
Hired: Jan. 29, 2021
Fired: Jan. 13, 2022
2021 salary: Not publicized
2021 record: 4-13
Overall record: 4-13 (one season)
David Culley lasted less than one calendar year at the helm of the Houston Texans. In a campaign marred by the benching of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson right before the start of the season amid mounting allegations of sexual misconduct, Culley won his first game in charge but went 3-13 the rest of the way.
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