3 NFL Coaches Fired Less Than a Day After Season

Now that the 2008 NFL regular season is over, reconfiguration of strategies, players, and staff has begun. Less than 24 hours after the regular season ended, a few NFL teams have wasted no time in making their adjustments, as three NFL coaches already have been fired. One of these coaches obviously knew he would be unemployed after the worst season recorded in NFL history. The Detroit Lions went 0-16 for the season, and less than 24 hours later they let Rod Marinelli go. Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel was fired, as well as New York Jets coach Eric Mangini.

Eric Mangini's firing came more of a surprise than the others, more so for the fact that it happened so soon. The New York Jets started the season 8-3, and were actually favored to make the playoffs and possibly win a Super Bowl, due to sound off-season spending as well as acquiring legendary quarterback Brett Farve. The New York Jets season began crumbling down in the second half and because of it they failed to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The Jets lost four of their last five games. The Jets owner was very vague in his reasoning for letting Mangini go.

Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel, was fired also due to a crumbled regular season, but to more astronomical proportions. In the 2007 season, the Cleveland Browns recorded a regular season record of 10-6. The Browns also had six players in the Pro Bowl last season. In the 2008 regular season the Cleveland Browns only won four games total to go 4-12 overall on the season. The Browns' collapse has more to do with injuries, but the fact that they didn't score an offensive touchdown in their final six games, all of which they lost, is horrible.

There really is nothing much we can say about the Detroit Lions and their recently fired coach Ron Marinelli. It really wouldn't have been fair if any other NFL coach was fired before he was. It really doesn't make a difference how close any of their games were because all people are going to remember about the 2008 Detroit Lions is that they were winless. Not recording a single win in an entire season is just unacceptable.

In the NFL it seems to be a very common thing to fire coaches when things aren't going right. Even though the coach is responsible for preparing the team for games, the players are the ones who actually go out on the field and win a game or lose a game. Making a coach fully responsible for the outcome of a season isn't very fair, but neither is life.