Sports
Grading the NFL’s Worst Head Coaching Hires of 2026
Jul 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Nearly a third of the teams in the NFL faced head-coaching vacancies this offseason, a rat race that concluded Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals tapped Mike LaFleur for the job.
The last hire of this coaching cycle wasn’t necessarily the best, though.
As with every class, someone’s got to bring down the curve. Read on to see which organizations rated an “F” for their coaching hires at first blush.
MIKE LAFLEUR, ARIZONA CARDINALS
Spurned by another burgeoning offensive mind from within their division, the Cardinals pivoted to LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, after Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak elected to lead the Las Vegas Raiders instead.
But plucking from the staff of an NFC Championship Game entrant barely makes a dent in Arizona’s bid to return to respectability. Significant questions remain on a roster that managed just 19 wins over the past four seasons and has finished above third in the NFC West once in the last nine years.
One of those uncertainties happens to play the game’s most important position. Quarterback Kyler Murray, limited to only five starts in 2025, still has two years and a team option remaining on a monster contract.
LaFleur, the younger brother of Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, helped guide the Rams to the most yards (394.6) and points (30.5) per game in 2025. Apart from his family-tree pedigree, he also looms as the latest successful offshoot of the Sean McVay line.
Still, superior schemes won’t be enough at the start for an organization that needs rehauling beyond its Xs and Os.
JEFF HAFLEY, MIAMI DOLPHINS
Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley does a selfie with fans before their game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, November 17, 2024 at Solider Field in Chicago, Illinois. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images Hafley only had been a head coach at Boston College before becoming Miami’s fourth HC hire since 2016.
Perhaps channeling that collegiate experience was a prescient move for an organization that’s been beset by infighting and still employs a mercurial quarterback whose best days came on campus.
Hafley has since proven to be a leader of NFL men, doing solid work in shaping the Green Bay defense as its coordinator the past two seasons. However, the unit’s slide after star pass rusher Micah Parsons’ late-season injury in 2025 isn’t an endorsement for his ability to overcome on-the-spot adversity.
Pairing with fellow Packers alum Jon-Eric Sullivan, Miami’s new general manager, could be a formula for Hafley to improve this grade. Until then, the unknown — and its ability to engulf first-time NFL head coaches — abounds.
TODD MONKEN, CLEVELAND BROWNS
Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken on the field before the game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Monken returns to his former stomping grounds with redemption on the brain. He served as Cleveland’s offensive coordinator during the one-year Freddie Kitchens Era in 2019, overseeing an attack that finished 22nd in the NFL in yards and points.
Kitchens’ dismissal opened the door for the since-dismissed Kevin Stefanski, while Monken got his groove back as OC at Georgia and with the Baltimore Ravens.
Monken, 59, brings established credibility and creativity to an offense lacking both. But he also knows from opposing the Browns twice a year about Cleveland’s question marks at QB and thinness at wide receiver and up front.
Plus, the ongoing Jim Schwartz saga reinforces Cleveland’s longtime organizational instability. Will Schwartz be back as Cleveland’s DC, or won’t he? If it’s the former, will fans think he’s only out to undermine a franchise that overlooked him for the top job after he built the defense into one of the league’s best?
Also, shouldn’t Monken have learned something when fellow candidates Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter and Grant Udinski removed themselves from consideration for this post? Is he merely destined for second-guessing?
Sports
Team Falcons, Team Spirit advance in group stage at BLAST Open Spring
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
Team Falcons, FURIA, Team Spirit and The MongolZ each recorded wins on Sunday to stay alive in the BLAST Open Spring event in Copenhagen, Denmark and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Group A lower-bracket final on Monday is set between Team Falcons and FURIA, while Aurora Gaming and Natus Vincere previously secured the upper-bracket final.
The Group B lower-bracket final is between Team Spirit and The MongolZ, while Team Vitality and PARIVISION already had their spots in the upper-bracket final on Monday.
The 16 teams in the $400,000 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event were split into two groups of eight that are contesting a pair of double-elimination brackets. The top three finishers in each bracket will advance to the six-team playoffs. All matches will be best-of-three until the best-of-five grand final on March 29.
The winning team will earn $150,000 along with three BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens.
On Sunday, Team Falcons rallied for a 2-1 win in the Group A lower-bracket semifinal over TYLOO, who opened with a marathon 16-14 win on Inferno. The Falcons responded in a big way with a 13-1 win on Ancient and a 13-2 victory on Mirage.
Nikola “NiKo” Kovac of Bosnia and Herzegovina led Team Falcons with a plus-14 kill-death differential while posting 45 kills, and teammate Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin of Russia had 50 kills and a plus-12 differential. No TYLOO players had a positive K-D differential.
FURIA followed a similar path in the other Group A lower-bracket semifinal, defeating NRG 2-1. NRG opened with a 13-10 win on Mirage, then FURIA surged past with wins on Nuke (13-2) and Dust II (13-7).
Danil “moloday” Golubenko of Kazakhstan led FURIA with 61 kills and a plus-32 differential.
Team Spirit swept 9z Team 2-0 in the Group B lower-bracket semifinal, winning on Overpass and Dust II on matching 13-6 scores.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets of the all-Russian Team Spirit posted 44 kills and a plus-22 K-D differential.
The MongolZ notched a 2-0 win over Team Liquid in the other Group B lower-bracket semifinal, winning 16-14 on Ancient and 13-10 on Mirage.
Ayush “mzinho” Batbold led the all-Mongolian Mongolz with 45 kills while recording a plus-8 differential. Jonathan “EIGE” Jablonowski of the United States paced Liquid with 52 kills and a plus-10 differential.
Monday’s schedule
–Group A upper-bracket final, Aurora Gaming vs. Natus Vincere
–Group A lower-bracket final, Team Falcons vs. FURIA
–Group B upper-bracket final, Team Vitality vs. PARIVISION
–Group B lower-bracket final, Team Spirit vs. The MongolZ
BLAST Open Spring prize pool (cash prize, BLAST Frequent Flyer tokens)
1. $150,000, 3
2. $60,000, 1
3-4. $40,000, 1
5-6. $20,000, 1
7-8. $10,000
9-12. $7,500 — TYLOO, NRG, 9z Team, Team Liquid
13-16. $5,000 — FaZe Clan, B8, MOUZ, Ninjas in Pyjamas
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tundra Esports, MOUZ unblemished to start ESL One Birmingham
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
Tundra Esports and MOUZ went undefeated in Group A on Sunday as ESL One Birmingham 2026 began play with 16 matches in the United Kingdom.
The $1 million tournament, featuring 16 teams in a Dota 2 competition, will award $750,000 in prize money and $250,000 in club rewards as well as 35,460 EPT points spread among all participants.
The group stage runs from Sunday through Wednesday, with two single round-robin groups of eight teams each. All series consist of two games.
The top two teams from each group advance to the upper bracket of the playoffs. The third- and fourth-place teams are delegated to the lower-bracket playoffs, and the remaining teams are eliminated.
The playoffs are March 26-29 with a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three except for the grand final, which is best-of-five.
Tundra Esports opened with a 2-0 sweep of PARIVISION, winning in 54 minutes on green and 29 minutes on red. Tundra also downed BetBoom Team in 30 minutes on green and 40 minutes on red.
MOUZ swept GamerLegion in 63 minutes on red and 46 minutes on green. MOUZ also swept REKONIX in 34 minutes on green and 29 minutes on red.
Team Yandex recorded a win and a tie on Sunday, while the remainder of Group A had a loss and a tie: BetBoom Team, GamerLegion, PARIVISION, REKONIX and Yakult Brothers.
In Group B, Aurora Gaming and Team Spirit are atop the standings with a win and a tie.
Aurora handled Team Falcons in 50 minutes and 26 minutes, both on green. Team Spirit and Aurora Gaming split their match, with the latter winning in 35 minutes on red and the former wining in 36 minutes on red.
Team Spirit also swept paIN Gaming with victories in 57 minutes on red and 30 minutes on green.
The following teams lost both matches: Nigma Galaxy, OG, Virtus.pro and Xtreme Gaming. Team Falcons and paIN Gaming each lost and tied after the first day.
Each group has eight matches scheduled for Monday.
Prize pool (prize money, club reward)
1. $250,000, $40,000
2. $100,000, $30,000
3. $80,000, $25,000
4. $60,000, $20,000
5-6. $40,000, $15,000
7-8. $27,500, $12,500
8-10. $20,000, $10,000
11-12. $17,500, $10,000
13-14. $15,000, $10,000
15-16. $10,000, $10,000
–Field Level Media
Sports
Spacestation Gaming stay hot in Overwatch Champions Series
A custom gaming keyboard backlit with red LED lights waits for tactile input before Manual took on Boone County in a Rocket League match, which was streamed on YouTube on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Spacestation Gaming recorded their second win in as many days by posting a 3-2 victory over Disguised on Sunday in the Overwatch Champions Series 2026 — North America Stage 1.
The Overwatch 2 online competition, with a prize pool of $75,000, features six teams playing a regular season with a round-robin format from March 21 to April 5. All matches are first-to-three.
The top four teams advance to the regional playoffs, which are April 10-12 and feature a double-elimination bracket. All matches are first-to-three except for the grand final, which is first-to-four.
Spacestation Gaming followed up their 3-0 victory over LuneX on Saturday by outlasting Disguised on Sunday.
Disguised jumped out to a fast start by sandwiching a 2-1 victory on Lijiang Tower and a 3-1 triumph on Aatlis around a 3-0 setback on Rialto. Spacestation Gaming, however, bounced back with a 3-1 win on Numbani and 89.69m-62.11m victory on Runasapi.
LuneX Gaming rebounded from Saturday’s setback with a 3-0 victory over Extinction.
LuneX notched a 2-1 win on Lijiang Tower, a 128.06m-51.42m victory on Esperanca and 3-2 triumph on Suravasa.
Saturday’s Week 2 matches:
–Team Liquid vs. Dallas Fuel
–Disguised vs. Extinction
Standings
1. Spacestation Gaming, 2-0, +4
2. Dallas Fuel, 1-0, +2
3. Team Liquid, 1-0, +1
4. LuneX Gaming, 1-1, 0
5. Disguised, 0-2, -3
6. Extinction, 0-2, -4
Prize pool:
1. $30,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
2. $15,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
3. $12,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2
5-6. $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Team Falcons, Team Spirit advance in group stage at BLAST Open Spring
Tundra Esports, MOUZ unblemished to start ESL One Birmingham
