ESPN NFL

Every season there are many articles written about coaches on the hot seat. I want to take a look at some coaches who could be on the so-called hot seat by season's end, but should they be?

The way the current NFL is set up, winning is not enough. Owners have to fill stadiums and fill suite quotas. Doing anything except win a Super Bowl can hinder that process. The Indianapolis Colts are a team that fits this pattern. Despite a 34-14 regular season record in the Tony Dungy era and a high-flying, offensively oriented team that lights up the scoreboard every Sunday, they regularly have trouble filling the seats in their stadium. Is it because the Colts are in a small market or is it because the fans know this team might not be good enough to win the Super Bowl?

In today's NFL, 10-plus win seasons in some cities aren't enough. Take the case of Steve Mariucci, who spent six years with the San Francisco 49ers. He won 57 games in his tenure and had four playoff appearances, but no Super Bowl win or berth to show for it. After two straight playoff appearances, he was fired following the 2002 campaign. In many cases, including in San Francisco, replacing successful coaches does not always mean more wins in the long run. Mariucci's replacement, Dennis Erickson, struggled to win and was fired after just two seasons.

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