Steve Starr
- BetOnline favors Denver’s Vic Fangio (+500) to be the first coach fired this season
- Kliff Kingsbury (+750) could be in danger if the Cardinals owner has “Super Bowl sized” expectations
- Zac Taylor (+900) is a strong bet to lose his job after compiling a 6-25-1 record in two seasons with the Bengals
Interestingly enough, two of the teams expected to be at the very bottom of the NFL this season, the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions, are headed by first-year head coaches with excellent job security. That leaves oddsmakers to set their sights on franchises whose fanbase and media expectations far outweigh their talent levels.
Let’s check the latest odds to see which Lombardi wannabees will fall short of a Super Bowl this year and find themselves on the unemployment line by first snowfall. And be sure to check out our tips for betting on NFL football games.
First NFL Coach To Be Fired
 |
|
| Vic Fangio | +500 |
| Mike McCarthy | +600 |
| Kliff Kingsbury | +750 |
| Matt Nagy | +750 |
| Mike Zimmer | +900 |
| Zac Taylor | +900 |
| Jon Gruden | +1200 |
| David Culley | +1800 |
| Matt Rhule | +2000 |
| Mike Vrabel | +2000 |
| Matt LaFleur | +2500 |
| Mike Tomlin | +2500 |
| Pete Carroll | +2500 |
| Dan Campbell | +2800 |
| John Harbaugh | +2800 |
| Ron Rivera | +2800 |
| Sean McVay | +2800 |
| Sean Payton | +2800 |
| Brian Flores | +3300 |
| Frank Reich | +3300 |
| Kyle Shanahan | +3300 |
| Joe Judge | +4000 |
| Arthur Smith | +5000 |
| Brandon Staley | +5000 |
| Nick Sirianni | +5000 |
| Robert Saleh | +5000 |
| Urban Meyer | +5000 |
| Kevin Stefanski | +10000 |
| Sean McDermott | +10000 |
| Andy Reid | +20000 |
| Bill Belichick | +20000 |
| Bruce Arians | +20000 |
Fangio’s the early favorite
With a 12-20 record entering year three in Denver, poor Vic Fangio (+500) still doesn’t have a quarterback after his new boss, general manager George Paton, passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones for cornerback Patrick Surtain. However, the Broncos are loaded on the defensive side of the ball and have a soft opening slate with the Giants, Jaguars and Jets.
Mike McCarthy (+600) is in far more danger after a miserable, injury-riddled first year in Dallas that saw America’s Team finish 6-10. A poor showing on HBO’s Hard Knocks combined with a blowout loss in the 2021 NFL season opener against the defending-champion Buccaneers will have the vultures circling.
"I'm just looking forward to getting started."
HC Mike McCarthy speaks on Year 2 & how vital training camp is to the team's connection on-and-off the field.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 21, 2021
Kliff Kingsbury (+750) led the Cardinals to an 8-8 record in his second year. Not so bad until you remember the club lost five of its last seven games. J.J. Watt’s arrival in free agency brought Super Bowl-sized expectations to the desert. That could spell trouble given that Arizona is stuck in a division with the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers, and star defensive end Chandler Jones wants out.
Coaches on the hot seat
Matt Nagy (+750) followed up a 12-4 campaign with consecutive .500 seasons with the Bears. Both he and GM Ryan Pace are hoping Justin Fields can save their jobs, but Andy Dalton’s current starter status could make things more difficult. With games against the Bengals, Lions and Raiders in three of the first five weeks and a quarterback change to go to if/when things get rough, Nagy just might make it through the year.
Last year, Mike Zimmer (+900) endured only his second under .500 record in his seven seasons in Minnesota, with the Vikings defense allowing an average of 393.3 yards per game (27th in the NFL). Zimmer got more bad news last week when Aaron Rodgers announced his return to the NFC North. While the 65-year-old has three years left on his deal, he’ll be in trouble if his defense doesn’t improve.
Training Camp Buzz: Matt Nagy "impressed" with how Bears rookie QB Justin Fields came back from OTAshttps://t.co/jPu8m98SF4 pic.twitter.com/vWzGGyf0ms
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) July 27, 2021
Zac Taylor (+900) is a hilarious 6-25-1 through his first two seasons in Cincinnati. While the Bengals were ridiculed for hanging on to coach Marvin Lewis for 16 seasons despite never winning a playoff game, Lewis reached the postseason in seven of his 16 years on the sideline and won four division titles.
With the 38-year-old Sean McVay disciple not even close to being qualified to be a head coach, expect Taylor to be fired after the Bengals get off to yet another slow start.
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