New York (AFP) – The NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns fired their head coaches on Monday, joining the Atlanta Falcons in making changes after losing campaigns ended on Sunday. Vegas axed Pete Carroll after a 3-14 mark in his only season guiding the Raiders, who will have the first pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Carroll, 74, had previously been a head coach with the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Seattle, where he directed the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2014. His record in 19 years as an NFL coach is 173-134-1. Raiders majority owner Mark Davis said part-owner Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, will be a key adviser in the search for a new coach and have a greater role with the club.
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“Moving forward, general manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach,” Davis said in a statement. “Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.” The Raiders snapped a 10-game losing streak on Sunday with a season-ending 14-12 victory over Kansas City.
Arizona sacked Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 season and a 15-36 tenure over three campaigns. The Cardinals have reached the playoffs only once in the past 10 seasons, earning a winning record only once in that span. Cleveland fired Kevin Stefanski after six seasons following a 5-12 campaign. His overall record with the Browns was 45-56, and he had guided the Browns to their only playoff victory since 1994 in 2020 when he was named NFL Coach of the Year, as he was again in 2023.
“We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization, but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary.” Browns general manager Andrew Berry will be retained.
“I’m disappointed that we could not accomplish more together, and the collective underperformance of our group is something I own,” Berry said in a statement. “Now, our attention turns to the search for the person to lead and develop what will be a young offense with heavy investment over the next six months to match and build on the performance of a young defense that’s already playing at an elite level.”
The coaching revamps began on Sunday when Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris was fired hours after a victory over New Orleans to close an 8-9 season. “No statement can change the disappointment of the past several seasons. I know we have fallen short of the standard you expect and we as an organization have for ourselves,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement to supporters.
“That responsibility rests with me. When results do not match expectations over time, as the owner, accountability cannot be shared or softened. I believe this team should be competing at a higher level than it has, and I share your deep frustration.”
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