10 Strange NFL Coaching Scandals
An NFL head coach is the true leader of a team, as he sets the vision for how the team should function year in and year out. The head coach calls plays, serves as the communication hub for the team’s assistant coaches, and carries most of the workload in preparing plays and schemes. However, as with all jobs in the national spotlight, there have been some wild and strange scandals that put an NFL coach in the media bubble for all the wrong reasons. Sometimes scandals can occur off the football field, and shady actions can take place during practices, resulting in a toxic organization and ethical violations down the road. These scandals also hurt the reputations these coaches have established over the years coaching in the league, or if they came from college football. Here at TPS, we’re going to explore 10 strange NFL coaching scandals that have occurred over the years and give our take on all of them. Which NFL head coaches were involved in a shady scandal? Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini spotted at a Sedona, Arizona resortDec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Perhaps the most recent NFL scandal that’s still getting a ton of media coverage is New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, photographed with sports journalist Dianna Russini at the Ambiente Sedona resort in Sedona, Arizona. In the photos, Vrabel and Russini are seen holding hands, hugging, and sitting together in a hot tub on a private bungalow rooftop. Both Russini and Vrabel have denied any romantic involvement with one another, but Russini’s career has taken a bit of a hit. The Athletic, which is owned by the New York Times, launched an investigation into Russini’s personal conduct, which resulted in Russini resigning from her position on April 14, 2026. Both Vrabel and Russini are married to other people, with Vrabel married to his wife, Jen Vrabel, since 1999, while Russini has been married to Kevin Goldschmidt since 2020. Vrabel’s career is still intact for now, but his actions off the field will be questioned moving forward during the 2026 season. Urban Meyer allegedly kicking the kickerJaguars general manager Trent Baalke during Friday afternoon’s press conference at TIAA Bank Field. After his arrival in Jacksonville, Florida Friday morning, April 30, 2021, Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick Trevor Lawrence along with team owner Shad Khan, head coach Urban Meyer and the Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke held a press conference in the afternoon inside TIAA Bank Field. They were also joined by the Jaguars 25th pick in the first round of the draft and former Clemson teammate of Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union] Jki 043021 Trevorlawrencea 4 We could make a list of just about all of the scandals Urban Meyer had during his short tenure as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach. From dancing with a younger woman at a bar in Cincinnati after the team lost a Thursday Night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, to allegedly calling his assistant coaches losers, and hiring Chris Doyle, who has faced accusations of racism and bullying when he was an assistant coach with the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, one of the worst moments that was the straw that broke the camel’s back in Meyer’s disastrous tenure with the team was when he allegedly kicked placekicker Josh Lambo during a practice. Lambo accused Meyer of kicking him in the leg during warmups before the team’s final preseason game, telling him to “make your f•••ing kicks.” A claim that detailed the 2021 Jaguars as a hostile work environment. The accusation Lambo brought up against Meyer ultimately led to his firing from the team, as the Jaguars also had a 2-11 record under Meyer’s leadership. Lambo also filed a lawsuit against the Jaguars, alleging Meyer created a hostile work environment, and the team did nothing to stop it. Lambo’s lawsuit was dismissed on November 16, 2022. The Napkin ResignationNov 22, 2009; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the New York Jets during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Jets 31-14. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports In 2000, then assistant head coach Bill Belichick was promoted to the head coaching job of the New York Jets after Bill Parcells stepped down and wanted him to take command of the NFL team. However, Belichick’s tenure as the team’s head coach was short-lived, as he was their head coach for one day. Belichick resigned from the job via a note on a napkin that said, “I resign as head coach of the New York Jets.” then gave a half-hour speech on why he chose to resign. The abrupt resignation stemmed from Belichick’s refusal to work under Jets’ owner Woody Johnson. Then, the New England Patriots named Belichick their head coach, even though the Jets and Parcells claimed that Belichick was under contract with the organization. Then, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue forced the Patriots to give up a first-round pick to the Jets for Belichick’s services, and the rest became history, as he transformed the Patriots into a super dynasty in the 2000s, while the Jets became a laughing stock for most of the 21st century so far. SpygateDec 29, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines during the second half of their loss to the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports As we mentioned earlier, Belichick transformed the New England Patriots into a winning juggernaut during his tenure, but his time with the Pats did have some dark moments. During the 2007 season, it was revealed to the world that the Patriots were filming opposing teams’ signals during games from the sidelines. Eric Mangini, who was the head coach of the New York Jets and a former assistant coach under Belichick, reported the fact that the Patriots were taping from the sidelines to NFL Security. It was also reported that the Patriots were filming 40 other games from 2000 to 2007. Belichick was fined $500,000 for his role in Spygate, the largest fine issued to an NFL head coach, while the Patriots were fined $250,000 and were stripped of a first-round pick. The Patriots also had to turn over notes, tapes, and other materials related to the incident and threatened further discipline if they didn’t comply. The NFL revealed that it received the requested materials and destroyed them. The destruction of the tapes would be criticized by then-U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, who said to the New York Times, “I am very concerned about the underlying facts on the taping, the reasons for the judgment on the limited penalties, and most of all, on the inexplicable destruction of the tapes,” as he was concerned with the league’s handling of the tapes, the integrity of the game, and the league’s anti-trust exemption. The Patriots ended up going 16-0 in the regular season that year, and lost Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants, led by Eli Manning and coached by Tom Coughlin. Josh McDaniels’ Walkthrough incidentSep 10, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels before the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports During the 2010 season, then-Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels was involved with a scandal nicknamed “Spygate II” or “the Walkthrough Incident,” as Steve Scarnecchia was caught filming the San Francisco 49ers’ six-minute walkthrough practice. Scaranecchia presented the video to McDaniels, but he refused to watch it and told him that’s not how an organization conducts business. The NFL didn’t take the scandal lightly, as they fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each. Scaranecchia was also involved with the Spygate scandal, as he worked for the New England Patriots during the 2000s. He would be fired by the Broncos for being a repeat offender of filming opposing teams during his time with the Pats. The NFL later determined that the incident was an isolated act by Scaranecchia, which didn’t have a competitive effect for the Broncos, as it served more as an embarrassment during a losing season. McDaniels never ordered the filming and didn’t watch it, per an NFL investigation. McDaniels would be fired from his position as head coach of the Broncos when they had a 3-9 record, and the team finished the year with a 4-12 record. BountygateAug 8, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams looks on during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports “Bountygate” was one of the NFL’s most notorious scandals from the late 2000s to early 2010s, as then-defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, Gregg Williams, paid players to hit opposing players who had bounties on their heads, which is illegal in the NFL. If the player was knocked out of the game, Williams would pay a bonus to the defensive player who caused that hit. Roger Goodell and the NFL found that 22 to 27 defensive players on the Saints were involved with “Bountygate.” Linebacker Jonathan Vilma was alleged to have offered $10,000 in cash to anyone who knocked Brett Favre out of the NFC Championship game. As a result of the scandal, Saints’ head coach Sean Payton was suspended for one full season for not stopping the scandal under his watch. Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely and fired by the St. Louis Rams after the 2012 season without coaching a single defensive snap for them. Vilma was suspended for the entire 2012 season. Then-Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis was suspended for eight games, the Saints were fined $500,000, and lost second-round draft picks for the 2012 and 2013 NFL Drafts. Payton would be the offensive coordinator of Liberty Christian High School in Texas for the 2012 season and return to coaching the Saints in the 2013 season. Williams would return to coaching in 2013 and had stints with the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, DC Defenders of the USFL/UFL, and was recently the defensive coordinator for Tennessee State in 2025. Bobby Petrino’s Midnight DepartureNov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks interim head coach Bobby Petrino prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images Petrino is renowned as a college coach, coaching teams like the Louisville Cardinals, the Arkansas Razorbacks, and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers throughout the years. Many of you have probably forgotten that Petrino was briefly the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for the 2007 season. Petrino’s brief tenure with the Falcons was a disaster, as the team went 3-10 under his watch. His college-style coaching discipline flopped in the NFL, failure to find a true replacement quarterback after the Michael Vick scandal, and he oversaw a ton of dysfunction during his time with the Falcons. Petrino resigned from his duties as the Falcons’ head coach, with just three games left in the regular season, by leaving a 78-word note in the lockers of every player on the team, even though he originally signed a five-year, $24 million contract in the prior offseason. Petrino would take the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas for the 2008 season. Hours before the controversial resignation, Petrino reportedly shook Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank’s hand, saying, “You have a head coach.” His cowardly exit was harshly criticized by players, assistant coaches, and the NFL. Then, Falcons’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer called Petrino a “gutless bastard” and a “coward” years later. Petrino’s exit was often referred to as a significant breach of professional ethics, as Blank prevented him from interviewing for the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach job until he resigned to take the college coaching job instead. The Jon Gruden Email LeakFormer NFL Coache Jon Gruden have a laugh while attending an NFL training camp session ten at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Gruden’s return to NFL coaching was a mixed bag, as he made questionable moves and had underwhelming results during his time as the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach from 2018 to 2021. During the 2021 season, Gruden was caught up in an email scandal that showed he used homophobic and misogynistic language for seven years before getting the Raiders’ head coaching job in 2018, following an investigation into the Washington Football Team for workplace misconduct. The emails revealed Gruden using homophobic language to insult commissioner Roger Goodell, calling him clueless and anti-football. Gruden mocked Michael Sam, who was the first openly gay player to be drafted by a team in 2014. Gruden also used a racist trope describing DeMaurise Smith’s lips. He resigned as the head coach of the Raiders in 2021, stating he didn’t want to be a distraction. Gruden would later sue Goodell and the league, alleging they were orchestrating a plan to destroy his career. A judge in Nevada denied the NFL’s request to dismiss the case on May 25, 2022. The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling allowing Gruden’s case against the NFL to proceed with a trial date set for May 2027. Gruden has worked for Barstool Sports since 2024 and revived his “Gruden’s QB Class,” which has become a huge success with the organization. Lane Kiffin’s firing on the phoneDec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on prior to the game against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images One of the more bizarre scandals the NFL dealt with was how coach Lane Kiffin was fired from the Oakland Raiders in 2008. Kiffin was the youngest head coach hired in the NFL, as he was 31 when he took the Raiders job back in 2007. However, Kiffin’s tenure with the Raiders was a disaster, as the 2007 team finished the year with a 4-12 record. Kiffin was fired by the late Al Davis on September 30, 2008, due to intense power struggles, and having a 5-15 record during his tenure as head coach of the “Silver and Black.” Davis was known for not being patient with coaches, and after Kiffin was fired by Davis, he held a strange 90-minute press conference displaying a three-page letter he sent to Kiffin weeks earlier. During the conference, Davis referred to Kiffin as a “con-man” and a “flat-out liar” and called the firing “for cause” as it was a way to avoid paying the remaining $2.6 million in salary money at the time. Kiffin filed a grievance to recover his unpaid salary in 2010, but an arbitrator ruled in favor of the Raiders. Sal Alosi's sideline trip The Sal Alosi sideline trip scandal took place during the 2010 season when Rex Ryan’s New York Jets squared off against the Miami Dolphins, even though the Jets lost the game 10-6. Alosi, who was the Jets’ strength and conditioning coach, intentionally tripped Nolan Carroll as he ran down the sidelines during a punt return. The act was condemned and regarded as a “competitive violation” and a “dangerous tactic.” The league investigated the incident and found out that Alosi ordered five inactive players to form a wall to impede opposing players. Alosi was suspended indefinitely for the rest of the 2010 season, was fined $25,000, and the Jets were fined $100,000. Alosi also resigned from the Jets in January 2011 and has taken strength and conditioning jobs with Bryant University, UCLA, and UConn from 2011 to 2020, respectively.
