NFL begins season with record-tying 10 new coaches

There will be a new look on the sideline in Week 1 of the NFL season with a record-tying 10 new head coaches. The overhaul of nearly onethird of the league matches the previous high reached in 1978, 1997 and 2006.

The new crop includes five retreads looking to bounce back after getting fired from their last head-coaching job and five firsttime coaches.

They take over varying situations with Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels taking over 2021 playoff teams in their second chances, while others like Chicago’s Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll of the Giants in rebuilding situations in their first shots in charge.

The other coaches looking for success after previously getting fired are Jacksonville’s Doug Pedersen, New Orleans’ Dennis Allen and Houston’s Lovie Smith.

The other first-time coaches are Nathaniel Hackett in Denver, Mike McDaniel in Miami and Kevin O’Connor in Minnesota.

Teams with first-year coaches haven’t had great success in recent years as most stepped into poor situations. Eight of the 32 teams that started the past five seasons with a new coach made the playoffs in their first year with a combined winning percentage with the group at .416.

In the Super Bowl era, four teams won the Super Bowl with a first-year coach with Denver the last to do it in 2015 under Gary Kubiak. Jon Gruden also did it with Tampa Bay in 2002, George Seifert in San Francisco in 1989 and the Colts with Don McCafferty in 1970.

Three teams made it to the Super Bowl and lost with a first-year coach: Indianapolis in 2009 with Jim Caldwell, the Raiders in 2002 with Bill Callahan and Denver in 1977 with Red Miller.

GERALD HERBERT/ASSOCIATED PRESS Saints first-year coach Dennis Allen talks with linebacker Nephi Sewell during training camp in July. Allen, who also coached the Raiders in 2012-14, is one of five new coaches getting a second chance to lead a team this season. Allen, who was fired after starting 0-4 in 2014, went 8-28 with Oakland