Ten Hall of Fame coaches who benefited from patience that may be rarer today

Cbssports says patience for NFL coaches appears to be waning, citing recent moves such as the Buffalo Bills' decision to fire Sean McDermott after nine largely successful seasons and the recent firing of John Harbaugh (who has since resurfaced with the New York Giants). The outlet also notes that Mike McDaniel and Kevin Stefanski were fired this month (Stefanski has since become the Atlanta Falcons' new coach), Raheem Morris was fired in Atlanta after two years, Matt LaFleur was once rumored to be on the hot seat before getting an extension, and Mike Tomlin stepped away last week after 19 seasons.

The story reviews 10 Hall of Fame coaches whose early records were marked by losing stretches before they ultimately won championships. Examples include Weeb Ewbank, who endured multiple losing seasons with the Colts before back-to-back titles in 1958-59 and then several losing seasons with the Jets before Super Bowl III; Tom Landry, whose Cowboys had several losing seasons and did not post a winning record until his sixth year and did not win a Super Bowl until his 12th; and Chuck Noll, whose Steelers went 1-13 in 1969 and endured two more losing seasons before winning four Super Bowls in the 1970s.

Bill Walsh and Bill Belichick are also highlighted for early struggles that preceded sustained success.

Key Topics

Sports, Sean Mcdermott, John Harbaugh, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Weeb Ewbank