After latest losing season, Arizona Cardinals have three of the worst head coaches in NFL history

Ineptness runs the Arizona Cardinals, or at least it has in their history.

In fact, after Jonathan Gannon completed his historic season with the Cardinals going 3-14, the most losses in a single season in franchise history, Gannon has a 0.294 win percentage.

Among qualified coaches Gannon now ranks eight worst in NFL history in win percentage.

The top seven:

1. Bert Bell – 0.179 from 1936-1941
2. Hue Jackson – 0.205 from 2011 to 2018
3. Steve Spagnuolo – 0.212 from 2009 to 2017
4. Gus Bradley – 0.226 from 2013-2016
5. David Shula – 0.268 from 1992-1996
6. Jimmy Pehlan – 0.271 from 1948-1952
7. Pat Shurmur – 0.292 from 2011 to 2019

The best part of the top 10 list is the Arizona Cardinals are the next three coaches, with Gannon the worst coach in Cardinals history (from win percentage).

• Jonathan Gannon – 0.294 from 2023-2025
• Dave McGinnis – 0.298 from 2000-2003
• Joe Bugel – 0.300 from 1990 to 1997

The Cardinals have three in the top ten, while the Cleveland Browns have two in the top seven, which seems worse, I think we can agree. But also, no one wants to be in a conversation with the Browns about the being the worst, because when you do that, you have already lost.

What is interesting is Gannon’s record mimics Steve Spagnuolo who was terrible in year one, mediocre in year two and terrible again in year three, before being fired and Dave McGinnis, who stunk his interim coaching season with the Cardinals, went 7-9 his second year, then went 5-11 and then 4-12 before being fired by the Cardinals.

It is fitting that the Cardinals are so well represented in terms of bad coaching hires, because sometimes it is not just about the coaches, they’re just victims of the larger issue.