Josh McDaniels isn’t the first coach to back out of a contract and he won’t be the last.
The Indianapolis Colts thought New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was going to be their next head coach. They even had a press conference scheduled. But the night before it was going to become official, McDaniels backed out. There’s nobody in the world who can understand what it’s like to leave in the middle of the night like he did.
Obviously, McDaniels is getting blasted for this. It’s a pretty low move to back out of something the day before a press conference. The Colts are left to find a coach with less than ideal options out there. NFL teams have already hired most of the good options. And those who have not have a significant head start over the Colts, who are starting from square one.
However, McDaniels certainly isn’t the last coach to change their heart at the last minute. Coaches change teams more often than you change your light bulbs. Other people have screwed over teams, or at least forced them to restart their coaching search unexpectedly.
Before we begin, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions. Mike Price was fired as the head football coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide before coaching a single game after an infamous night at a strip club. Barry Melrose quit after 16 games because of a variety of factors, but the most notable one is his refusal to play rookie Steven Stamkos. Wally Backman was the Arizona Diamondbacks manager for four days before the team found out he lied about his past.
However, Price and Backman didn’t quit. They were fired because of what they did. And had Melrose not quit, he probably would have been fired. Let’s take a look at some coaches who, much like McDaniels, had second thoughts.