Coaching carousel spins as Gase among four axed
The number of coaching openings has reached eight after four coaches were let go Monday. The list:
♦ The Dolphins’ Adam Gase, who went 23-25 in three seasons. He was 0-1 in the playoffs. Gase was the offensive coordinator for the Bears (under John Fox) in 2015.
“Today we’re no further along than when I bought the team,” said Stephen Ross, who became majority owner a decade ago. “I thought it was time for the organization to take a different approach.”
♦ The Bengals’ Marvin Lewis, who compiled a 131-122-3 record in 16 seasons. But he as 0-7 in the playoffs and 8-26 against the Steelers.
His departure ends the secondlongest active coaching tenure in the NFL. The Patriots’ Bill Belichick is wrapping up his 19th season with another postseason berth. He has won five Super Bowls and made eight appearances in the title game, both NFL records. The Saints’ Sean Payton (13 seasons) now has the second-longest tenure.
“I didn’t deliver what the No. 1 goal is, and that’s to be world champions, and we did not get that done,” Lewis said.
♦ The Broncos’ Vance Joseph, who went 11-21 in two seasons.
“It’s disappointing not being able to finish what we started,’’ Joseph said.
♦ The Cardinals’ Steve Wilks, who went 3-13 in his only season.
He is the first Cardinals coach to be fired after one season since Joe Kuharich in 1952.
The new coach in Arizona will join a team that owns the No. 1 draft pick in the 2019 draft.
The four fired Monday join the Jets’ Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers’ Dirk Koetter, who were let go Sunday night.
In addition, the Packers’ Mike McCarthy (replaced by interim coach Joe Philbin) and the Browns’ Hue Jackson (replaced by interim coach Gregg Williams) were let go during the season.
Of the eight coaches released, only Koetter, Gase and McCarthy are not minorities. Just three minority coaches remain: Ron Rivera with the Panthers, Anthony Lynn with the Chargers, and Mike Tomlin with the Steelers.
After last season, the Bears, Colts, Titans, Raiders, Lions, Cardinals and Giants made changes.
This and that
Falcons coach Dan Quinn announced the firings of offensive coordinator Steve Sarkasian, defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel and special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong.
♦ The Raiders hired former NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock as their new general manager.
♦ Titans linebacker Brian Orakpo says he’s retiring after 10 seasons. He was a first-round pick of the Redskins in 2009.
♦ The Bills have re-signed veteran quarterback Derek Anderson to a one-year contract.
♦ CBS announced that its Sunday afternoon NFL package posted an 8 percent increase over last season. ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” also had an 8 percent increase.