Finding Success With Former NFL Head Coaches

Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips was generally not included in head coaching searches after departing Buffalo in 2000 with a .580 winning percentage and leading the Falcons to a 2-1 record on an interim basis. Many teams seem to desire the next hot head coach out of college or winning organizations rather than those who have achieved success in the past as an actual NFL Head Coach.

Phillips has led the Cowboys to a 13-3 mark while other head coaches in a second or third stint as a NFL Head Coach are enjoying similar success this season. These include Tom Coughlin, Joe Gibbs, Jon Gruden, Mike Holmgren, Bill Belichick, Tony Dungy and surprisingly Norv Turner. Dick Jauron's and Herm Edwards' teams did not make the playoffs, but Jauron kept the Bills surprisingly competitive into the '07 season and Edwards led the Chiefs to the playoffs as recently as last season.

Eight out of the ten head coaches that have served multiple head coaching jobs in the NFL will be in the playoffs this season.

Here are other former Head Coaches who could provide similar success to a new team rather than teams pursuing the next Bobby Petrino.

Mike Sherman (.594 winning percentage)

Marty Schottenheimer (.613 winning percentage)

Jim Fassel (.522 winning percentage)

Steve Mariucci (.518 winning percentage)

Brian Billick (.556 winning percentage)

Jim Mora Jr. (.542 winning percentage)

Mike Martz (.624 winning percentage)

Dennis Green (.546 winning percentage)

Jim Haslett (.469 winning percentage)

Mike Tice (.492 winning percentage)

and eventually Bill Cowher (.623 winning percentage)

Dennis Green and Steve Mariucci both seemed to fail in a second stint but considering they were taking over two teams that haven't won a championship in over 110 combined years, it seems hard to believe any individual could turn around the Cardinals and Lions in such a limited time frame.

CheezerAll-Star

707 days ago

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Do you really think that Haslett or Tice could be successful if given another shot? Sherman is a terrible playoff coach. Martz kills QBs. Billick's reasons for success were a defense he didn't build and an offense centered around Randy Moss. Please add more substance to this article. I would like to understand why you feel that the people in your list should be considered for another job.

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CheezerAll-Star

707 days ago

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I just noticed that you also wrote the article on the NFL without FA. You do choose interesting topics. Keep it up!

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Ccampbell34All-American

707 days ago

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I honestly think Mike Tice is braindead but am a big fan of Haslett. I think many teams are honestly ignoring potential successful head coaches based on the fact they pursue big name coordinators or college coaches when 8 out of 10 head coaches who are on their second or third team are in the playoffs.

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