The NFL had its annual "Black Monday" where it was announced that the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Chicago Bears had all decided to part ways with their respective coaches, Examiner reported.
The first Monday after the season ended is known in the NFL as "Black Monday," a time when coaches are put on the hot seat and either revered for their skills or let go by their teams. At 12 p.m. ET on Monday, four coaches were formally dismissed for their performances.
The four head coaches that were asked to leave this season are Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers, Rex Ryan of the New York Jets, Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons, and Marc Trestman of the Chicago Bears. They were followed by several general managers and personnel.
Harbaugh led the 49ers to the championship games during his first three seasons working with them as their head coach, and once even managed to lead the team to the Super Bowl. However, this year was a disappointment as the team ended up missing the playoffs. Rumors have it that Harbaugh will be taking up a post at the University of Michigan after leaving the 49ers, according to BBC.
New York Jets head coach Ryan managed to bring the team to the AFC championship in his first two seasons with the team. During his second season, the Jets even beat out the Colts and Patriots, though sadly lost to the Steelers at the championship game. Their luck ended with that however, as they failed to produce results and finished 4-12 this season, according to Examiner.
Following Ryan's exit was general manager John Idzic who was being let go due to questionable personnel moves.
The Jets are reportedly already looking at Dan Quinn and Trent Kirchner from the Seahawks to replace Idzic, according to NFL.
Atlanta Falcons coach Smith worked with the team for seven seasons alongside the team's quarterback Matt Ryan. Smith led the team to the playoffs in his first five seasons and the championship game in 2012, before losing to the 49ers at the Super Bowl. During his last two seasons, Smith was unable to improve the team's performance, missing the playoffs twice and losing at their own home stadium, according to Examiner.
The team's general manager, Thomas Dimitroff, was reportedly safe for now though the team's owner Arthur Blank is not making promises as he plans on making changes to the team's organizational structure. The team is reportedly already looking at a replacement for Smith, such as Josh McDaniels of the Seahawks and Adam Gase from the Denver Broncos, according to NFL.
The Bears have had it rough with their team, according to Sports Illustrated. In 2012, general manager Phil Emery fired former head coach Lovie Smith and replaced him with Trestman. Trestman was expected to work with quarterback Jay Cutler, who Emery contracted for $120 million for seven years. However, Trestman reportedly came off as an "offensive guru," which made it difficult for Cutler to work with him.
This ended in the team missing the playoffs during Trestman's past two seasons and it got to the point where the Bears lost up to 50 points in back to back games.
The team's offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer was also fired after informing the public that the team lost all faith in Cutler, followed by defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, and eventually Emery himself for being unable to control the mess.
