This century’s 25th season has already brought two firings. The Jets booted Robert Saleh after five games, closing a three-plus-season tenure, and the Saints ended Dennis Allen‘s third HC season after nine. Dozens of similar decisions have been made this century.
While interim coaches generally do not make it past partial seasons with their respective teams, a handful have done so in modern NFL history. Since 2000, 12 interim HCs have transitioned to a full-time role with their respective franchises. The Raiders ended a seven-year drought by elevating Antonio Pierce to the full-time HC post this year. Here are the league’s 21st-century interim coaches:
2000
- Dick LeBeau, Cincinnati Bengals; replaced Bruce Coslet on Sept. 25, 2000
- Dave McGinnis, Arizona Cardinals; replaced Vince Tobin on Oct. 23, 2000
- Gary Moeller, Detroit Lions; replaced Bobby Ross on Nov. 6, 2000
- Terry Robiskie, Washington; replaced Norv Turner on Dec. 4, 2000
LeBeau and McGinnis were promoted to head coaches. LeBeau coached the Bengals through the 2002 season; McGinnis was with the Cardinals through 2003.
2001
- Mike Tice, Minnesota Vikings; replaced Dennis Green on Jan. 4, 2002
Minnesota named Tice, who took over with one game to play during the postponed 2001 season, its full-time head coach in 2002; he stayed in that post through the 2005 season.
2003
- Wade Phillips, Atlanta Falcons; replaced Dan Reeves on Dec. 10, 2003
2004
- Jim Bates, Miami Dolphins; replaced Dave Wannstedt on Nov. 9, 2004
- Terry Robiskie, Cleveland Browns; replaced Butch Davis on Nov. 30, 2004
2005
- Dick Jauron, Detroit Lions; replaced Steve Mariucci on Nov. 28, 2005
2007
- Emmitt Thomas, Atlanta Falcons; replaced Bobby Petrino on Dec. 12, 2007
2008
- Jim Haslett, St. Louis Rams; replaced Scott Linehan on Sept. 29, 2008
- Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders; replaced Lane Kiffin on Sept. 30, 2008
- Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers; replaced Mike Nolan on Oct. 20, 2008
The Raiders elevated Cable to full-time status; he coached the team through the 2010 season. Singletary rose to San Francisco’s full-time HC post and was in place through 2010, when he was fired in-season.
2009
- Perry Fewell, Buffalo Bills; replaced Dick Jauron on Nov. 17, 2009
2010
- Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys; replaced Wade Phillips on Nov. 8, 2010
- Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings; replaced Brad Childress on Nov. 22, 2010
- Eric Studesville, Denver Broncos; replaced Josh McDaniels on Dec. 6, 2010
- Jim Tomsula, San Francisco 49ers; replaced Mike Singletary on Dec. 26, 2010
Frazier landed the Vikings gig and held that role through the 2013 season. The Cowboys’ change marks the outlier on this list. Garrett remained Dallas’ head coach through the 2019 campaign. Tomsula technically counts toward the 12 interim HCs who became head coaches for that team, but he did not receive that opportunity for several years. Tomsula moved back to his 49ers D-line coach position and later took over as their head coach for one season in 2015.
2011
- Mel Tucker, Jacksonville Jaguars; replaced Jack Del Rio on Nov. 29, 2011
- Todd Bowles, Miami Dolphins; replaced Tony Sparano on Dec. 12, 2011
- Romeo Crennel, Kansas City Chiefs; replaced Todd Haley on Dec. 12, 2011
Crennel received his second head-coaching opportunity in 2012 but was fired following that season, a 2-14 Chiefs campaign.
2012
- Aaron Kromer, Joe Vitt, New Orleans Saints
Each served as a Saints interim HC during Sean Payton‘s suspension.
2013
- Wade Phillips, Houston Texans; replaced Gary Kubiak on Dec. 6, 2013
2014
- Tony Sparano, Oakland Raiders; replaced Dennis Allen on Sept. 29, 2014
2015
- Dan Campbell, Miami Dolphins; replaced Joe Philbin on Oct. 5, 2015
- Mike Mularkey, Tennessee Titans; replaced Ken Whisenhunt on Nov. 3, 2015
- Pat Shurmur, Philadelphia Eagles; replaced Chip Kelly on Dec. 29, 2015
The Titans handed the reins to Mularkey in 2016. Despite a 2017 playoff berth, Mularkey was axed after his second full-time season.
2016
- John Fassel, Los Angeles Rams; replaced Jeff Fisher on Dec. 12, 2016
- Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars; replaced Gus Bradley on Dec. 18, 2016
- Anthony Lynn, Buffalo Bills; replaced Rex Ryan on Dec. 27, 2016
Marrone moved up to the Jags’ full-time HC position and remained in that role through the 2020 season.
2017
- Steve Spagnuolo, New York Giants; replaced Ben McAdoo on Dec. 4, 2017
2018
- Gregg Williams, Cleveland Browns; replaced Hue Jackson on Oct. 29, 2018
- Joe Philbin, Green Bay Packers; replaced Mike McCarthy on Dec. 2, 2018
2019
- Bill Callahan, Washington; replaced Jay Gruden on Oct. 7, 2019
- Perry Fewell, Carolina Panthers; replaced Ron Rivera on Dec. 3, 2019
2020
- Romeo Crennel, Houston Texans; replaced Bill O’Brien on Oct. 5, 2020
- Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons; replaced Dan Quinn on Oct. 11, 2020
- Darrell Bevell, Detroit Lions; replaced Matt Patricia on Nov. 28, 2020
2021
- Rich Bisaccia, Las Vegas Raiders; replaced Jon Gruden on Oct. 11, 2021
- Darrell Bevell, Jacksonville Jaguars; replaced Urban Meyer on Dec. 16, 2021
2022
- Steve Wilks, Carolina Panthers; replaced Matt Rhule on Oct. 10, 2022
- Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis Colts; replaced Frank Reich on Nov. 7, 2022
- Jerry Rosburg, Denver Broncos; replaced Nathaniel Hackett on Dec. 26, 2022
2023
- Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders; replaced Josh McDaniels on Nov. 1, 2023
- Chris Tabor, Carolina Panthers; replaced Frank Reich on Nov. 27, 2023
- Giff Smith, Los Angeles Chargers; replaced Brandon Staley on Dec. 15, 2023
The Raiders hired Pierce to be their full-time head coach.
2024
- Jeff Ulbrich, New York Jets; replaced Robert Saleh on Oct. 8, 2024
- Darren Rizzi, New Orleans Saints; replaced Dennis Allen on Nov. 4, 2024
In some ways this list shows why giving Saturday an opportunity is defensible. The NFL tends to recycle failed coaches instead of auditioning new talent. I don’t think Saturday is poised for success given the situation, but considering the track record of other interim coaches, the expectation is pretty low.
For those who may be curious as to the immediate impact interim coaches make:
FIRST GAME RESULTS AS INTERIM HEAD COACH
2000 LEBEAU – L 16-31 vs DOLPHINS
McGINNIS – L 10-21 vs SAINTS
MOELLER – W 13-10 vs FALCONS
ROBISKE – L 13-32 vs COWBOYS
2001 TICE- W 42-24 vs TITANS
2003 PHILLIPS – L 7-38 vs COLTS
2004 BATES – L 17-24 vs SEAHAWKS
ROBISKE – L 15-42 vs PATRIOTS
2005 JAURON – L 16-21 vs VIKINGS
2007 THOMAS – L 3-37 vs BUCS
2008 HASLETT – W 19-17 vs REDSKINS
CABLE – L 3-34 vs SAINTS
SINGLETARY – L 13-34 vs SEAHAWKS
2009 FEWELL – L 15-18 vs JAGUARS
2010 GARRETT – W 33-20 vs GIANTS
FRAZIER – W 17-13 vs REDSKINS
STUDESVILLE – L 13-43 vs CARDINALS
TOMSULA – W 38-7 vs CARDINALS
2011 TUCKER – L 14-38 vs CHARGERS
BOWLES – W 30-23 vs BILLS
CRENNEL – W 19-14 vs PACKERS
2013 PHILLIPS – L 3-25 vs COLTS
2014 SPARANO – L 28-31 vs CHARGERS
2015 CAMPBELL – W 38-10 vs TITANS
MULARKEY – W 34-28 vs SAINTS
SHURMUR – W 35-30 vs GIANTS
2016 FASSEL – L 3-24 vs SEAHAWKS
MARRONE – W 38-17 vs TITANS
LYNN – L 10-30 vs JETS
2017 SPAGNUOLA – L 30-10 vs COWBOYS
2018 WILLIAMS – L 21-37 vs CHIEFS
PHILBIN – W 34-20 vs FALCONS
2019 CALLAHAN – W 17-16 vs DOLPHINS
FEWELL – L 20-40 vs FALCONS
2020 CRENNEL – W 30-14 vs JAGUARS
MORRIS – W 40-23 vs VIKINGS
BEVELL – W 34-30 vs BEARS
2021 BISACCIA – W 34-24 vs BRONCOS
BEVELL – L 16-30 vs TEXANS
2022 WILKS – L 28-34 vs VIKINGS
Overall record 18-22
Who’s kidding who? The Saturday move was meant to facilitate the tanking of the rest of the season.
Lots of Mike’s replacing Jim’s and Joe’s replacing Bill’s and Dan’s replacing Todd’s…
It would appear to me that all interim coaching changes are just cosmetic in nature, will the sole purpose being to relieve media pressure and keep fans from stampeding to the exits. I don’t think the owner actually expects a sinking ship to be righted in the time remaining on the season schedule.
That’s a lot of wasted money right there. Add in the rest of the staff was most likely turned over in the offseason.
Judging by this list, is Jason Garrett the greatest interim coach hire in two and a half decades?
Or is it Mike Mularkey?