The NFL’s so-called Black Monday is in full swing: five coaches have been let go since the regular season concluded yesterday, with two of the moves so far being made in the AFC East. The New York Jets fired head coach Todd Bowles shortly after his 4-12 team was blown out by the New England Patriots yesterday. Today, the Miami Dolphins parted ways with their own head coach and relieved Adam Gase from his duties after a 7-9 season.
Bowles has been coaching the Jets since the 2015 season, during which time the team went 24-40 and missed the playoffs each year. Gase has fared a little better in Miami: he will leave town with a 23-25 record but made the postseason in his first year at the job. Nevertheless, both coaches share the same fate now: they are out at their positions, while their teams are once again searching for new men to lead them.
The coaching carousel that is the AFC East therefore keeps spinning once again. While the Patriots have been a model of consistency, the rest of the division has struggled to keep its coaches in place: since 2000, 19 head coaches and five interims have come and gone — all while Bill Belichick and company kept winning division and conference titles, and five Super Bowls. All in all, the coaching cemetery that is the non-Patriots AFC East looks as follows:
Buffalo Bills: Wade Phillips, Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey, Dick Jauron, Perry Fewell (interim), Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone, Rex Ryan, Anthony Lynn (interim), Sean McDermott
Miami Dolphins: Dave Wannstedt, Jim Bates (interim), Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, Todd Bowles (interim), Joe Philbin, Dan Campbell (interim), Adam Gase
New York Jets: Al Groh, Herm Edwards, Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles