Jerry Glanville, then the colorful head coach of the Houston Oilers, had a wry way of describing the tenuous nature of his profession in the late 1980s.
At the annual NFL owners meeting held each spring in some swanky location, traditionally a group photo is taken of all the league’s coaches. After one such moment, Glanville was asked what his ambition was for the forthcoming season.
Glanville grinned and said, “To be in this picture again next year.”
That’s definitely a dose of reality because as soon as any NFL season begins, speculation percolates as to which NFL coach will see his season come to an end first.
And that’s a surefire sign to Virginia sportsbook apps users that things are going badly.
First NFL Coach to be Fired Odds
Coaches on ‘Hot Seat’ Entering 2023
Coaches on the proverbial “hot seat” are usually obvious. The list is flush with coaches who have been in a job a few years without material evidence that the program is getting closer to the playoffs – or in some cases, where franchise expectations are high, the Super Bowl might seem too far out of reach.
With that in mind, BetVirginia.com took a look at which coaches are on that hot seat entering the 2023 season. We compiled hypothetical odds on which coach will be fired first. You won’t find these odds for Virginia sports betting with operators, only here.
Commanders’ fans won’t be too surprised that their team’s head coach, Ron Rivera, is listed as one of the potential frontrunners to be the first out the door.
Rivera’s hypothetical odds of being the first NFL coach fired in the 2023 season are +700, meaning it’s a 12.5% chance in a field that includes all NFL head coaches. Rivera is fourth on the list behind Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles (+500), Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels (+550), and Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski (+650). Just behind Rivera is Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley (+850) whose prospects were damaged badly in an epic meltdown of a playoff loss to Jacksonville last season.
Check out the Washington Commanders playoff chances all season at BetVirginia.
Rivera’s Record With Washington
Rivera has a three-year coaching record in Washington of 22-27-1 with one playoff appearance. Before that, he was head coach in Carolina, where he was 76-63-1 with a losing appearance in the Super Bowl.
Weighing against Rivera is certainly a lackluster won-loss record in Washington. But maybe more significant is a change at the top of the franchise, with Josh Harris purchasing the team from Dan Snyder.
That means Rivera wasn’t hired by Harris and that the new owner has nothing of his own judgment invested in the coach.
Those might be nebulous factors in the team’s chances of succeeding, but the Washington Commanders Super Bowl odds are still fairly long.
Speaking well of Rivera is that he took over a team with a reputation was in tatters. Washington finished 3-13 in 2019, the year before he was hired, and had mostly lost a disgusted fan base. But without a steady starting quarterback, Rivera has coaxed the team into having a fighting chance in a revived NFC East. Not to be overlooked is that his honest, forthright demeanor has lent a much-needed measure of class to an organization that had been lacking in that category.
2023 Season Performance Will Tell
Having said all that – and notwithstanding the Commanders having +1300 odds at Caesars Virginia Sportsbook to win the division – it will come down to on-field performance. At the moment, the Commanders’ fortunes as well as Rivera’s will ride with a largely inexperienced quarterback, Sam Howell, who has won his only NFL start.
Assuming Rivera needs to make a good early impression, and he does, the Commanders couldn’t have asked for a better opening opponent. They are consensus 6-point favorites at major Virginia sports betting operators against Arizona at home on Sept. 10 in Week 1 of the NFL regular season. The Cardinals are widely predicted to have the worst record in the NFL this season, so it’s a must-win game for Rivera to give himself some breathing room.
BetVirginia.com offers the best Virginia sportsbook promos year-round, so keep us locked in as NFL season approaches.
