NFL Head Coach...Never Ejected?

JackWESQ

My apologies for posting this message in the wrong forum, but
there seems to be many well educated sports fans here.

I've been a fan of the NFL since about 1984. That gives me about
20 years of knowledge. I could be mistaken, but in that time, I don't
EVER recall a NFL head coach ever being ejected from a game.

Baseball managers get ejected all the time. Basketball and hockey
(when they are playing) head coaches get ejected every once in
a while. But NFL? Does this fall into the "unwritten rule" category
where NFL head coaches are immune from ejection? Just wondering.
If anyone can shed some light, I would greatly appreciate it.

/s/ JackWESQ

mudflap02

I'm no expert, but I would kind of agree with the "unwritten rule" thing. Any of the other sports can plat fine without the man at the top, but in football he really does run the show during the game. He would probably have to make a pretty serious boo boo to get thrown out of one (ie punching a ref or a fan).

denwd1

remember: Woody Hayes
not nfl coach but still worth remembering after all these years



coached Ohio St. to 6 national titles (1954,57,61,68,70) and 4 Rose Bowl victories; 238 career wins in 28 seasons at Denison, Miami-OH and OSU; his coaching career ended abruptly in 1978 after he attacked an opposing player on the sidelines.

but did he get kicked out of the game?

helionaut

NFL coaches don't argue with officials, at least not like MLB managers do. There is no penalty in baseball for a coach or manager coming onto the field to debate. In football it's an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards or something, so coming over the line is an immediate detriment. Many coaches do ride a linesman or someone telling them to keep their eyes open for holding or whatnot, but officials don't engage in conversation for the most part, and coaches don't get overheated. And kicking a football head coach out would be more damaging to that team than kicking a manager out in baseball. The head coach is the focal point for all activity on the sidelines. And besides, there are about 500 people on the sidelines of an NFL game, plenty of other people to ride the zebras.

But wasn't Lou Holtz of Notre Dame ejected once for choking an official? He was demonstrating how an opposing lineman was clotheslining his lineman, and he chose to use the official as his model. I can't remember if he got kicked out, but it caused quite a stir.