Josh McDaniels was fired by the Raiders overnight, ending his head coaching tenure in Las Vegas after only 25 regular-season games. The 9-16 record over a season and a half wasn't good, but the way the team operated under him and also fired GM Dave Ziegler was a lot worse.
Between creating a bad atmosphere in the locker room and questionable personnel moves, McDaniels' time with the Raiders can be considered a massive failure. After waiting 12 years to get a second chance after lasting only 28 games with the Broncos, McDaniels wasted it to the point at only 47, he won't get another head-coaching opportunity.
Unfortunately, McDaniels is the latest and greatest example of how the Bill Belichick coaching tree had produced mostly bad apples for NFL teams trying to copycat the "Patriot Way". It just doesn't work without Belichick himself (and GOAT QB Tom Brady).
Excluding college coaches (Nick Saban, Kirk Ferentz) and former Patriots players (Mike Vrabel, Kevin O'Connell), assistants and coordinators who have worked under Belichick have been a collective disappointment coaching their own teams:
Let's rank them all, from the absolutely disastrous to really not that good:
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Bill Belichick NFL coaching tree, ranked from worst to least bad
Josh McDaniels, Raiders (2022-2023) and Broncos (2019-2010)
Coaching record: 20-33
McDaniels' Tim Tebow experiment in Denver blew up in his face quickly and he also didn't fare well as the Rams' offensive coordinator, spending only one season in St. Louis. There were bad vibes about his non-Patriots leadership. The Colts avoided the trap when they named McDaniels head coach in 2018 before he withdrew from the jaob. immediately.
McDaniels' intensity works well with Belichick keeping him in check. His complicated offensive scheming only has worked with Brady operating it. The Raiders tried to forget about the second Jon Gruden stint in the worst possible way and should have just stuck with former special teams Rich Bisaccia.
McDaniels had to be fired after completely losing the team and making a talented offense struggle to the point of its best player, wide receiver Davante Adams, becoming completely unhappy.
Matt Patricia, Lions (2018-2020)
Coaching record: 13-29-1
It doesn't take a rocket scientist like Patricia to know Patricia was in over his head trying to be the face of Detroit. For a defensive-minded coach, he immediately didn't help that side of the ball and often undermined the offense.
The Lions were smart to cut ties early, setting up the chance to become a winning, NFC-contending team under Dan Campbell.
Joe Judge, Giants (2020-2021
Coaching record: 10-23
Offense, defense .... and now special teams. We've hti the trifecta of Belichick's coaching staff. He struggled from the get-go connecting with his players for a team in transition and he consistently made horrible in-game decisions. He also was not likable in the locker room a la McDaniel. He also was fickle about his assistants.
Romeo Crennel, Browns (2005-2008), Chiefs (2011-2012) and Texans (2020)
Coaching record: 32-63
Crennel was an OG coordinator with Belichick along with Charlie Weis, who landed college jobs with Notre Dame and Kansas. Crennel was a great defensive schemer with Belichick in New England, but just wasn't the right fit leading an entire team despite deserving great respect.
He probably got his first coaching too late to develop well into that role, given he was 58 when hired in Cleveland.
Jim Schwartz, Lions (2009-2013)
Coaching record: 29-51
Schwartz has been an ace defensive coordinator for many teams, including the Titans, Eagles and now the dominant Browns. He was OK in Detroit for a little while, leading the team to one wild-card playoff berth during the early years with Matthew Stafford. He could never help the Lions turn the corner to consistency.
MORE: What happens to Josh McDaniels' contract after Raiders firing
Eric Mangini, Jets (2006-2008) and Browns (2019-2020)
Coaching record: 33-47
Mangini was pumped up early in New York/New Jersey as the "Man Genius" as he was hired as the youngest head coach then in the NFL at 35. There were hopes he could be a proxy Belichick and turn around the Patriots' AFC East rivals, especially after going 10-6, improving by six games and making the playoffs right away in '06.
Unfortunately, it went downhill right after the Jets lost in the wild-card round — to the Patriots. Although Mangini got revenge on Belichick by furthering the cause of "Spygate", the Jets crashed quickly on the field. Mangini then totally lost it in Cleveland with off-putting handling of coaches and players, ensuring there would be no third shot.
Brian Flores, Dolphins (2019-2021)
Coaching record: 24-25
The Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross didn't have much patience with Flores to see through the transition to Tua Tagovailoa as starting QB. That led to some ugly controversy and league disciplinary action when it was discovered that Ross had improper communication with Sean Payton during Flores' final season in 2021.
The bottom line was, Miami didn't get on track with Tagovailoa during his key rookie contract window early under the defensive-minded Flores and had to accelerate that with offensive-minded Mike McDaniel.
Brian Daboll, Giants (2022-present)
Coaching record: 11-13-1
Daboll won a lot of coaching accolades for his rookie job with the Giants, including making the playoffs, but Year 2 has been an injury-riddled mess with turnover-making regression from Daniel Jones. Daboll might be headed down the path of Mangini for another New York team, setting up higher expectations but fading fast afterward.
Al Groh, Jets (2000)
Coaching record: 9-7
Groh got this shot after Belichick chose to resign and not replace his long-time collaborator Bill Parcells. He did pretty well in one non-playoff season, with a winning record that included a "Monday Night Miracle". Groh quickly parlayed the gig, however, to resigning and becoming head coach of the University of Virginia, his alma mater, in 2001.
Bill O'Brien, Texans (2014-2020)
Coaching record: 52-48
O'Brien is back as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, replacing McDaniels on one-year delay. He was first the Patriots' offensive coordinator in 2011, before being replaced by McDaniels when O'Brien left to coach Penn State.
The end of the Texans' tenure was memorably messy, but before that, the team did win four AFC South division titles in his six-plus seasons. But Houston was up-and-down and didn't have any notable playoff success, going 2-4. There was still a sense they were underachieving and O'Brien wasn't a good situational and personnel coach. In the end, just being a few games over .500 makes BOB the best of the worst.
