3 worst NFL tenures of former Bill Belichick assistants

The Bill Belichick coaching tree is in the spotlight again after both Joe Judge and Brian Flores lost their respective jobs this week. The New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins are now seeking new leaders after hoping to land the next Belichick.

This is not some new trend. Former Belichick assistants notoriously struggle when getting their own head coaching jobs. Someone like Bill O'Brien stands out as a mild success, but who represents the worst of the worst?

Three former head coaches in particular stand out in that category.

3 worst NFL head coaching tenures of former Bill Belichick assistants

New York Giants v Miami Dolphins

#3 - Joe Judge, New York Giants

Judge has to be on this list given the way his Giants tenure came to an end. He went 6-10 in 2020, his first year on the job, and kept talking about building a great culture.

But then disaster struck in 2021. His team finished 4-13, with six consecutive losses to close out the year. He betrayed bizarre behavior in press conferences and even ran quarterback sneaks in Week 18 in the first half, seemingly to run down the clock and get the season over with.

It got so bad that Giants owner John Mara declared it a new low for the organization.

Getting fired after two seasons is never a good sign and Judge has a long way to go to rebuild his reputation in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions

#2 - Matt Patricia, Detroit Lions

Matt Patricia was with the New England Patriots for over a decade before landing his head coaching opportunity with the Detroit Lions. He replaced Jim Caldwell, who had a winning record before being fired. That proved how high expectations were for the new coach.

He ended up doing much worse, going 6-10 in his first season before a 3-12-1 finish the following year. Somehow, he got a third season in Detroit. He was fired after a 4-7 start.

Patricia went to a long-tortured franchise and tried to drastically change the culture without any head coaching experience. It turns out Detroit should have just stuck with Caldwell, who was a proven winner.

Detroit Lions v Denver Broncos

#1 - Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos

Josh McDaniels has made a name for himself as an offensive genius on Belichick's staff. But his legacy cannot be discussed without mentioning his short stint as Denver Broncos head coach.

Things got off to a great start in his first year as the Broncos raced out to a 6-0 record. It was all downhill from there as the team finished 8-8. His next season was a bigger disaster and he was fired following a 3-9 start.

The losing record was one thing, but McDaniels was also caught spying on other teams. This led to his subsequent firing and may explain why he has stayed in New England for so long under Belichick.