As expected, the Arizona Cardinals fired coach Dennis Green and the Atlanta Falcons fired coach Jim Mora on Monday after their teams fell short of playoff expectations again.
Both coaches were in their third seasons. Mora got the Falcons and Michael Vick to the NFC championship game in his first year in 2004 but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. That 11-5 team slipped to 8-8 last season and 7-9 this season.
Mora sealed his fate with an ill-advised comment on a radio show, saying he would happily take the job at his alma mater, the University of Washington. Earlier, Mora’s father, also named Jim, agreed on a radio show that Vick was “a coach killer,” hastening apologies and his son’s departure.
Green’s records of 6-10, 5-11 and 5-11 followed playoff predictions by the former Minnesota Vikings and Northwestern coach.
The name of Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera will be mentioned as a possible successor in both places.
The question for the Cardinals is whether they can justify hiring a fourth Bears defensive coach, following Buddy Ryan, Vince Tobin and Dave McGinnis.
Nobody in the NFL changes coaches more often than the Cardinals, who list 43 head coaches and co-head coaches in their 87-year history. Since they have won only one playoff game since their last NFL title as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947, the number of coaches is their main claim to fame.
The Falcons also may be reluctant to hire another defensive-minded coach like Mora because the development of Vick remains the primary question for the franchise.