how many nfl coaches have been fired

Right now there is no single official, all‑time statistic for “how many NFL coaches have been fired” in league history, and the available data is tracked mostly year‑by‑year rather than as one grand total.
Quick Scoop
- In recent seasons, the NFL typically sees about 6–9 head coaches fired per year, depending on how you count mid‑season dismissals and post‑season changes.
- Over the last nine seasons alone (since 2017), Sports Illustrated’s year‑by‑year rundown shows between 5 and 9 head‑coach firings per season, which already adds up to several dozen firings in less than a decade.
- A Reddit discussion summarizing recent trends notes that roughly 35 head coaches were dismissed over just six seasons (excluding interims), plus several “mutual partings” or retirements, reinforcing that turnover is constant and high.
What the “fired” number usually means
When people ask “how many NFL coaches have been fired,” they are usually talking about:
- Current/off‑season total
- For example, after the 2025 regular season, media reports and columns discuss how many head‑coach jobs are open because of firings (and sometimes retirements or non‑renewals).
* In that context, the answer is framed as “There are X openings this cycle,” often around 6–8 teams.
- Year‑by‑year tallies
- Outlets like Sports Illustrated list the number of head coaches fired each season (e.g., 9 in 2023, 7 in 2024, 7 in 2020, etc.), but they do not provide an all‑time cumulative total.
* Fans on forums also track how many coaches are let go within a given season, with some posts noting that 6–8 changes a year has become a “normal” range.
Why you won’t see one exact all‑time number
- The NFL dates back more than a century, coaching roles have changed over time, and older records are not always labeled cleanly as “fired” vs “resigned” vs “mutual parting.”
- Modern lists also differ on whether they count:
- Interim coaches.
- Non‑renewed contracts.
- “Mutual” separations or retirements that look like firings.
Because of these issues, reputable outlets stick to season‑by‑season counts instead of publishing a definitive “Total number of NFL coaches ever fired.”
So, what can be said confidently?
- Across modern NFL history, hundreds of head coaches have ultimately lost their jobs, and in just the last six to nine seasons the number of firings already runs into several dozen.
- In today’s league (mid‑2020s), fans and analysts generally expect around 6–9 head‑coach firings each year , plus a handful of additional changes from retirements or mutual separations.
In everyday discussion, when you see headlines like “Every NFL coach who has been fired this year,” they are almost always talking about that year’s cycle of firings, not an all‑time master count.
Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.