Houston Texans

Top 3 coaches from shrinking 2014 hiring class have identical résumés

Published Jan. 18, 2016 8:54 a.m. ET

foxsports

The seven NFL head coaches hired in 2014 had drastically differing results in two seasons.

Three coaches from that class -- Minnesota's Mike Zimmer, Detroit's Jim Caldwell and Houston's Bill O'Brien -- have identical 18-14 records and one playoff appearance each. Three coaches -- Cleveland's Mike Pettine, Tennessee's Ken Wisenhunt and Tampa Bay's Lovie Smith -- have already been fired.

Here's how the last two years have gone for each coach.

Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings

Record: 18-14

Playoff appearances: 1

Status: Employed

Zimmer led the Vikings to a 7-9 record and a third-place finish in the NFC North during his first season in command. His team improved to 11-5 this past season and claimed the franchise's first division title since 2009. He fields a defensive team that still relies heavily on Adrian Peterson at running back back, but a promising young passer is starting to emerge in Teddy Bridgewater.

Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions

Record: 18-14

Playoff appearances: 1

Status: Employed

Caldwell, who served as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2009-2011, experienced immediate success in his first season with the Lions. They went 11-5 and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. His squad took a significant step back by starting the 2015 season 1-7, although they rallied to finish 7-9.

Bill O'Brien, Houston Texans

Record: 18-14

Playoff appearances: 1

Status: Employed

O'Brien has the same exact record as Zimmer and Caldwell through two seasons, but his team has been more consistent from year to year. He has led the Texans to nine wins and seven losses each of the past two years, despite an unstable quarterback situation. A 9-7 record wasn't good enough to qualify for the playoffs in 2014, but it was enough to earn O'Brien an AFC South title this past season.

Washington's Jay Gruden is the only other coach from this class to have made the playoffs.

Jay Gruden, Washington Redskins

Record: 13-19

Playoff appearances: 1

Status: Employed

Gruden has started to turn things around since his dismal debut -- a 4-12 record in his first season as head coach. The Redskins finished 9-7 in 2015, and that was good enough to earn them an NFC East title. There's a promising connection brewing between Gruden and young quarterback Kirk Cousins in Washington.

Mike Pettine, Cleveland Browns

Record: 10-22

Playoff appearances: 0

Status: Fired after 2015 season

Pettine guided the Browns to seven wins in his first season, but the foundation he built fell apart in 2015. After a 3-13 season and several more unwanted Johnny Manziel story lines, he was fired. Cleveland is now onto its fifth head coach -- Hue Jackson -- in seven years

Lovie Smith, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record: 8-24

Playoff appearances: 0

Status: Fired after 2015 season

Smith's Buccaneers posted a league-worst 2-14 record in 2014, leading to the selection of quarterback Jameis Winston first overall in the following year's draft. They showed some signs of promise in their first season together, but a four-game skid to finish 6-10 ultimately sealed Smith's fate. The longtime Chicago Bears head coach in unemployed once again, replaced by former offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.

Ken Wisenhunt, Tennessee Titans

Record: 3-20

Playoff appearances: 0

Status: Fired after Week 8 of 2015 season

The Wisenhunt experiment proved to be a major failure in Tennessee. A 2-14 record in 2014 helped the team land quarterback Marcus Mariota with the second-overall pick, after the Buccaneers picked Jameis Winston. The former Cardinals coach did little with his new passer, leading the Titans to a 1-6 record before his firing halfway through the 2015 season.