Jim Caldwell led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl and won two division titles during his three-year stint as head coach. However, his winning credentials were not enough to save his job after one disastrous year.
Caldwell has a record of 26 wins versus 22 losses. The Colts fell apart after Peyton Manning’s neck injury prevented him from playing during the 2011 season. The Colts finished the season with only 2 wins and 14 losses.
But Caldwell should have been given an opportunity to prove that he can bounce back after going through a rigorous season. Below average coaches, such as Norv Turner of the San Diego Chargers, are given multiple opportunities to fail. Turner’s subpar coaching year with the Chargers should have earned him his walking papers, but he will return to coach a team that continues to underachieve.
Caldwell was the first rookie coach in the NFL to win his first 14 games and the fifth rookie coach to reach the Super Bowl. His firing shows a pattern of black coaches not being allowed to grow and build a superior team.
Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) was fired after two seasons; and Hue Jackson (Oakland Raiders) was fired after one season. –amir shaw
