NFL Coaches on the Hot Seat: Jim Harbaugh, Aaron Glenn & More

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Pushing The Odds with Matt Perrault

Assessing the Hot Seats of Jim Harbaugh, Aaron Glenn and Other NFL Coaches

Jim Harbaugh’s seat is extremely hot following an 0-8 start. The situation is made worse by the lack of changes to his coaching staff, but the Chargers may not have a dependable interim option capable of steadying the team. With Adam Gase and running backs coach Max McCaffrey among the staff, there is no obvious veteran presence or up-and-coming coach ready to take control.

That lack of a competent interim option could explain why the Chargers have not made any staff changes. Even so, the expectation is that Harbaugh will not survive the team’s disastrous season.

Aaron Glenn also received the highest hot-seat rating after falling to 5-21 as head coach of the Jets. New York remained competitive with Kansas City through the first half before being overwhelmed in the second half. The prediction is that Glenn will be fired before the end of the season, with Frank Wright taking over on an interim basis and a new head coach arriving next year.

Nick Siriani’s hot-seat rating landed at 3.5. His recent Super Bowl appearances provide some protection, but the atmosphere around the Eagles has reportedly been poor for a long time. The potential departures of the offensive line coach and Van Gio, along with the need for new messaging during a rebuild, could lead to an offseason change.

Siriani also faced speculation that he made an obscene gesture toward fans while adjusting his fingers. The incident appeared to be an example of people looking for any excuse to have him fired rather than an intentional gesture. A midseason firing is unlikely, but an offseason departure remains possible.

Brian Schottenheimer received a hot-seat rating of 3 after the Cowboys avoided disaster against the Colts. Jerry may want to make a change, but Dallas is 4-5 and remains within reach of both the division and a wild-card berth. That should prevent an immediate move, although a coaching change could still happen during the offseason.

Todd Bowles received a hot-seat rating of 5 after another loss dropped the Buccaneers to 3-6. Tampa Bay remains in the division race because of the weakness of the division, and Bowles’ defense has played extremely well despite lacking a significant pass rush.

The offense has dealt with injuries to Ebuca and Baker Mayfield, who broke his thumb and has appeared limited. Bowles cannot control those offensive problems, but an NFL franchise can only tolerate mediocrity and struggles for so long before deciding it needs a change.