There was a ridiculous amount of turnover in the head-coaching ranks in the past year. It began during the 2008 regular season, when three NFL head coaches were removed from the sideline — Lane Kiffin of the Raiders, Mike Nolan of the 49ers and Scott Linehan of the Rams. After the season concluded, the coaching carousel kept spinning at a dizzying pace, with eight other teams ditching their sideline bosses. Now, as we approach the start of the 2009 regular season, 11 franchises are led by someone other than the coach who started the '08 campaign.

What's in store for this season? Well, it's a near certainty that we won't witness a repeat of the in-season blood-letting of a year ago. But after the season, well, that's another story. We have studied the coaching situations for all 32 teams and have assembled this list of coaches who could be feeling the heat if they don't have success in '09. Coaches are listed alphabetically.

Tom Cable, Raiders
In the eight seasons since Jon Gruden left Oakland, no Raiders head coach has held that job for more than two seasons. If that history of futility is any indication, Tom Cable's time is running out. While the allegations that he punched one of his assistants and broke a facial bone has led to a police investigation, it hasn't seemed to detrimentally affect the team. Thanks to all of the oddities that regularly occur in Oakland, players are accustomed to the bizarre and unprofessional. That incident won't get Cable fired, but a failure to compete for a playoff spot might.

Brad Childress, Vikings
On the one hand, you can't blame Brad Childress for wanting to go for it all this season, pairing up a late-arriving Brett Favre with what appears to be a championship-grade roster at the other positions in an effort to make a Super Bowl run. But what happens if Favre flounders or the bottom falls out elsewhere? Anything short of a repeat as NFC North champs and a deep run in the playoffs could deep-six Childress, who never has received the warmest reception from many of the Vikings' fans, nor from some of the players in the locker room, for that matter. This team has the talent to win it all, but you have to wonder if Childress' months-long dalliances with Favre could end up hurting him in the end.

Jack Del Rio, Jaguars
What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2008, Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio was envisioning steering his club toward the Super Bowl. His Jaguars were coming off an inspired run to the divisional round of the playoffs, and he was the proud owner of a fresh contract extension. But in 2008, everything changed. The offensive line couldn't protect, the receivers couldn't catch, the defensive ends couldn't rush and the corners couldn't cover. What's worse, Del Rio began losing control of the locker room and had numerous players staging near-mutinies. With a new general manager in Gene Smith scrutinizing his every decision, Del Rio must recapture his form that made him respected in the locker room and admired on the field if he hopes to be guiding the team into the next decade.

John Fox, Panthers
Having led Carolina to three postseason berths in seven seasons, including an appearance in the 2004 Super Bowl, John Fox has built one of the more respected track records in the league. Only three active NFL head coaches have held their positions longer than he has. But the Panthers' failure to win a playoff game since the '05 season has brought Fox into a potential make-or-break campaign. In order to keep his job beyond '09, he will probably have to do something he has yet to accomplish during his tenure — make the postseason in back-to-back years. Even if he does that, a failure to win in the playoffs could be enough to get him fired.

Dick Jauron, Bills
The Buffalo faithful are growing restless. So is owner Ralph Wilson Jr. It's been 10 years since the Bills last tasted the postseason, the longest drought in the AFC. But you wouldn't sense any desperation from perpetually stoic head coach Dick Jauron, and that is much of the problem. A sense of urgency just never seems to be among Jauron's priorities, regardless of how poorly things are going. Sources close to the club contend that the only reason Jauron wasn't canned after last season was because a contract extension he signed following the Bills' surprising 4-0 start made it too rich a buyout for Wilson. But the 90-year-old owner knows his window for a return to glory is narrowing, and he'll be loath to stand pat with Jauron any longer if the cerebral skipper puts it in cruise control to another losing campaign.

Gary Kubiak, Texans
Gary Kubiak has transformed the Texans' offense into one of the NFL's more potent. QB Matt Schaub has taken to Kubiak's tutelage, and there's reason to think his third season in Houston's attack could be his best yet. But as the offense has flourished, the defense has sputtered, and the Texans have yet to finish better than .500 in any of Kubiak's three campaigns as head coach. Expectations are higher this season on the heels of an 8-8 season that saw Houston stumble badly early, only to rebound and play some of its best football in franchise history. If the Texans again fall short of the playoffs, speculation about Kubiak's future will begin in earnest, particularly if owner Bob McNair doesn't extend his contract, which runs through 2010.

Marvin Lewis, Bengals
Marvin Lewis, who has led the Bengals to just one postseason berth since taking the head-coaching job in 2003, is no stranger to speculation about his job. However, owner Mike Brown is known for being very patient when it comes to coaches, and it would be no surprise if he wanted Lewis to come back for the final season of his contract in 2010. The question is whether Brown would extend Lewis' deal before it expires — and whether Lewis would be amenable to an extension. How the Bengals fare in 2009 will likely go a long way in determining these answers.

Eric Mangini, Browns
Is it a little early to put Eric Mangini on the hot seat? Not when the Browns are on their fourth coach in 10 seasons, and not when Mangini's authoritarian approach wore thin after only three seasons with the Jets. His first training camp in Cleveland was notable for its physicality and emphasis on discipline — not to mention some whispers of grumbling by players. Browns owner Randy Lerner's fascination with New England's model for success is no secret, and Mangini is working under a four-year contract. Nevertheless, if the Browns sputter, Mangini's lack of amiability could become more of a hindrance than a mere annoyance.

Mike McCarthy, Packers
Hot on the heels of a seven-game drop in the standings that was the steepest in team history, the Packers' magical 13-3 season one year earlier that triggered Mike McCarthy's five-year, $20 million contract extension seems like a distant memory in the minds of many Packers fans. With a plus-39 point differential despite a 6-10 record in 2009, the inordinately large number of close defeats were blamed, rightfully or not, on suddenly suspect coaching by many fans, especially those who continue to rue the day McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson sent Packers legend Brett Favre packing. The Packers have enjoyed a surprisingly strong preseason up to now, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where a new 3-4 scheme has been installed. Should the defense suddenly go south again once the show starts for real and the Packers continue to struggle despite what is widely considered above-average talent on both sides of the ball, McCarthy could be teetering on a very shaky tightrope before long.

Sean Payton, Saints
After failing to make the postseason in back-to-back seasons, Sean Payton is under pressure to finally get the Saints back into title contention. Even though Payton just signed an extension a year ago to keep him in town through 2012, there's a sense of urgency in New Orleans to win now. If Payton — who has rubbed some people the wrong way with a brash, arrogant approach — doesn't deliver, ownership could be inclined to make a change. His first-round picks of Reggie Bush and Robert Meachem have yet to pan out, and his play-calling has been questioned.

Wade Phillips, Cowboys
Jerry Jones couldn't just replace Wade Phillips — whom Jones called "the right man for the job" when he was hired a year prior — after last season's disaster. Given that the team felt that anything less than the Super Bowl was a failure, a 9-7 record and no postseason means the heat has been turned up on Phillips' job status in Year Three. But things have cooled around Dallas considerably with some of the riffraff gone from last year's team, and the Cowboys, dare we say it, might be sleepers in the ultracompetitive NFC East. The X-factor of whether Phillips stays could be the defense; he now has taken over full time as the unit's coordinator, and the play of this group might speak volumes.

Lovie Smith, Bears
After making it to the Super Bowl three seasons ago, the Bears finished a very mediocre 16-16 the last two seasons and have failed to earn a playoff berth. If the team doesn't show major improvement this season after general manager Jerry Angelo's blockbuster trade with the Broncos in early April for Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler, Smith could be skating on thin ice. While most of the buzz is in the Windy City continues to revolve around Cutler, the Bears' defense must make a quantum leap this season, particularly against the pass, for the team to be considered a legitimate contender. Smith is taking over the bulk of the defense's play-calling duties from beleaguered coordinator Bob Babich and has added highly regarded assistants Rod Marinelli and Jon Hoke to coach the defensive line and secondary, respectively. If those moves fall flat and the defense continues to underachieve as it has the last two seasons, a change at the top would hardly be a shock.

Norv Turner, Chargers
After getting off to rough starts in each of his first two years in San Diego, the pressure is on Norv Turner to have his team prepared and motivated for a full campaign. With a roster as talent-laden as any in the league, expectations are high for the Chargers to finally get over the hump and play for a Super Bowl title. With many seeing Turner as the reason the team hasn't yet joined the elite, anything short of a successful regular season and deep playoff run could have the Bolts searching for a new head man in 2010.

Jim Zorn, Redskins
Few were surprised that Jim Zorn's name was kicked around, albeit in hushed voices, as a possible victim after only one season on the job, given that it's Daniel Snyder who signs his checks. But Zorn survived following an 8-8 season, though not with a ton of confidence heading into Year Two. You have to wonder about the stability of a head coach and his quarterback, Jason Campbell, who almost certainly would have been replaced this year had the Redskins' top targets to succeed them been readily available. Snyder reportedly has eyes for the one of the out-of-work rock-star coaches — with Mike Shanahan topping the list, we hear — after this season. So, if Zorn and Campbell don't make big statements in 2009, they both could have new addresses next year.

Related story: Pressure building on Packers bosses

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