NFL hot seat: Panthers fire Ron Rivera, these 3 head coaches could be next
By Peter Panacy
![SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers stands on the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) SANTA CLARA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Carolina Panthers stands on the sidelines during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on September 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/8f2c3aa1c507fe6bd76ccfbcaa4094cda99e047bb9162a991a4d0f5a54949425.jpg)
No. 3: Doug Marrone, Jacksonville Jaguars
In the two years since their surprising and defensive-driven 2017 AFC Championship game appearance, the Jacksonville Jaguars have gone a combined 9-19 under head coach Doug Marrone.
There have been quarterbacking controversies, going from Blake Bortles, to Nick Foles, to Gardner Minshew, back to Foles and back to Minshew again.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey wanted out, then finally got his way. Running back Leonard Fournette has been under scrutiny, and there hasn’t been a shortage of “quiet issues” surrounding Marrone and the Jaguars the past two years.
The losing hurts, of course. And this report from Michael DiRocco of ESPN doesn’t suggest Marrone is safe, either:
One clear thing from Jaguars EVP Tom Coughlin’s surprise media availability: He did not give coach Doug Marrone a vote of confidence or offer a show of support.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) November 27, 2019
With Jacksonville faltering in the AFC South, Tom Coughlin and team ownership may be inclined to start the head-coaching search process a little early, since there’s nothing to lose by keeping Marrone in place of a team seemingly turning circles around itself.
Those reasons put Marrone squarely on the NFL hot seat with a quarter of the season left.