Replacing losing Super Bowl coaches: the longitudinal record
by TGryn, originally written Nov 3 2005

Of the 19 losing Super Bowl coaches who were fired or replaced before winning the Super Bowl with the same team, here's the success record for the coaches who succeeded them:

* 2002 Oakland: Callahan fired in 2004, replaced by Turner. No playoff appearances yet. (UPDATE 11/07 - Turner fired 
after '05, no playoff appearances, replaced by Shell)
* 2001 St. Louis: Martz fired in 2005, replaced by Vitt (interim) then Linehan. No playoff appearances yet.  
* 2000 Giants: Fassel fired in 2004, replaced by Coughlin. No playoff appearances yet. (UPDATE 2/08 - 3 playoff 
appearances, WON Super Bowl in 2007)
* 1999 Atlanta: Reeves fired in 2004, replaced by Mora, Jr. 1 playoff appearance, no Super Bowls yet. 
(UPDATE 11/07 - Mora Jr. fired after '06, replaced by Petrino)
* 1998 Green Bay: Holmgren moved on to Seattle in 1999. Rhodes hired in 1999, fired in 2000, replaced by Sherman.
* 1996 New England: Parcells replaced by Carroll in 1997. 2 playoff appearances in 3 years, no Super Bowls, replaced by 
Belichick in 2000.
* 1994 San Diego: Ross fired in 1997, replaced by Gilbride, no playoff appearances in 2 years, replaced by Riley in 1999.
* 1990-1993 Buffalo: Levy fired in 1998, replaced by Phillips. 2 playoff appearances in 3 years, no Super Bowls, replaced by Williams in 2001.
* 1986, 1987, 1989 Denver: Reeves replaced by Phillips in 1993, no playoff appearances in 2 years, replaced by Shanahan in 1995.
* 1988 Cincinnati: Wyche replaced by D. Shula in 1992. No playoff appearances in 4 seasons, replaced by Coslet in 1996.
* 1985 New England: Berry replaced by Rust in 1990. Rust fired in 1991, replaced by McPherson.
* 1982, 1984 Miami: Shula replaced by Johnson in 1995. 3 playoff appearances in 4 years, no Super Bowls, replaced by Wannstadt in 2000.
* 1981 Cincinnati: Gregg replaced by Wyche in 1984. Wyche loses Super Bowl in 1988, see above.
* 1980 Eagles: Vermeil replaced by Campbell in 1983. No playoff appearances in 3 seasons, replaced by Ryan in 1986.
* 1979 Rams: Malavasi replaced by Robinson in 1983. 6 playoff appearances in 9 years, 0 Super Bowls, replaced by Knox in 1992.
* 1978 Dallas: Landry replaced by Johnson in 1988, Johnson WINS Super Bowl in 1992.
* 1977 Denver: Miller replaced by Reeves in 1981. Reeves 8 playoff appearances in 12 years, 3 Super Bowl losses, replaced by Phillips in 1993.
* 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 Minnesota: Grant replaced by Steckel in 1984. Steckel fired in 1985, replaced by Grant.
* 1972 Washington: Allen replaced by Pardee in 1978, no playoff appearances in 3 years, replaced by Gibbs in 1980.
* 1968 Baltimore: Shula replaced by McCafferty in 1970, McCafferty WINS Super Bowl in 1970.


Trends

- The average time between losing a Super Bowl and being fired/replaced is 4.4 years. If you throw out the "legends" 
Landry and Shula (w/ Mia), the number shrinks to 3.9 years. That's about the right timespan for the veterans on the 
SB team to really begin to decline from age.

- As of the end of 2007, 9 out of 19 (47%) of coaches who replaced losing Super Bowl coaches didn't even make the 
playoffs during their tenure. Of the other 10, five - McCafferty, Wyche, Reeves, J. Johnson, and Coughlin - made it 
to the Super Bowl, and only McCafferty, Johnson, and Coughlin won it. That's a success rate of 16% if the goal is to 
replace a SB loser with a SB winner.

- 4 Super Bowl losers eventually won it later with the same team: Stram (L '66, W '69), Madden (L '67, W '76), 
Landry (L '70, W '71; L '75, W '77), and Shula (L '71, W '72).

Sources:
http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/history
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/