CHICAGO—Chicago coach John Fox got the chop on Monday, a day after the close of the NFL season saw the Bears in last place in their division for a third straight year.
Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell was also fired on Monday, less than a year after he inked a contract extension.
Fox was hired by the Bears in January of 2015 after four years at the helm of the Denver Broncos.
Fox guided the Broncos to a 46-18 record, four straight division titles and a Super Bowl appearance, but that success didn’t translate when he made the move to Chicago.
The Bears have gone 6-10, 3-13 and 5-11 in Fox’s three seasons. In 2017, they were 0-6 against NFC North division rivals, marking the club’s first winless season in their division in nearly 50 years.
“Thank you to all the players, coaches, the city of Chicago and Bears fans everywhere, your passion for the game and this team is unmatched in the NFL,” Fox said in a statement released by the team. “Today is the tough part of our results-oriented business but I wish the Bears organization the best for years to come.”
Caldwell coached the Lions to winning records in three of his four years at the helm. But the Lions missed the playoffs twice in the last three seasons—including this year with a 9-7 record.
“I believe Jim is one of the finest leaders we’ve ever had as our head coach,” Lions owner and chairman Martha Firestone Ford said in a statement. “Not only did he guide us on the field to three winning seasons, but he also set a standard of excellence off the field that had a tremendous impact on everyone in our organization and our entire community. Our organization is better because of Jim, and we are forever grateful.”
The wave of dismissals by disappointed teams had started Sunday night shortly after the final games of the regular season concluded.
The Indianapolis Colts sacked coach Chuck Pagano Sunday night after their 22-13 victory over Houston capped a 4-12 season.
And the Oakland Raiders fired coach Jack Del Rio on the heels of the team’s 30-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, which completed their 6-10 campaign.