Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns looks on from the sidelines during the first half of the NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona.
Ralph Freso | Getty Images
With the close of the NFL’s regular season comes “Black Monday,” the annual purge of coaches and executives whose teams didn’t make the playoffs.
The Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers have all fired their head coaches as of Monday afternoon.
Browns fire head coach Freddie Kitchens
The Browns announced Sunday that head coach Freddie Kitchens has been “relieved of his duties” as head coach. Kitchens joined the Browns as a running backs and associate head coach in 2018 and was promoted to offensive coordinator later that year, according to the team’s release. He stepped into the head coaching role in January of 2019.
“We thank Freddie for his hard work and commitment to this organization but did not see the success or opportunities for improvement to move forward with him as our head coach,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in the release. “Our focus is on hiring an exceptional leader for this football team and we will take a comprehensive approach to this process.”
The Haslams said they are “excited about the core players” and hope to hire a head coach that “will put this group of players in the best position to succeed.”
Giants let go of head coach Pat Shurmur
New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur prior to the National Football League game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 29, 2019 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Rich Graessle | Getty Images
Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is also out of the job after two seasons, the team announced Monday morning.
The team finished with a 4-12 record this season and has not won more than five games in the last three seasons, according to the release.
“The last three seasons have been extremely disappointing for the organization and our fans,” Giants president John Mara said. “Pat has been a successful and highly-respected NFL coach for 21 years and he is not solely responsible for our record. But we came to the conclusion it is best to have a fresh start with the coaching staff.”
Redskins part with president Bruce Allen
Redskins team president Bruce Allen has also been fired, owner Dan Snyder announced Monday, after the Redskins let go of head coach Jay Gruden earlier this season. Snyder pulled the plug on Gruden in early October after an 0-5 start.
“Through the first five games of the 2019 season, the team has clearly not performed up to expectations, and we all share in that responsibility,” the team said in an issued statement.
Many are expecting former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera, who was fired on Dec. 3, to fill the vacant Redskins head coaching position. ESPN reported that the Redskins are expected to hire Rivera, “barring unforeseen developments.”
Longtime sportswriter Michael Silver tweeted that Rivera and his wife, Stephanie, were on a flight to Northern Virginia on Monday.
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