At the end of the 2011 season in the NFL, three Black head coaches were fired.

The first to get a pink slip was Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, Raheem Morris.

The Bucs surprised everyone by finishing the 2010 season with a 10-6 record, and expectations were high for the 2011 season, especially with the quality draft picks the team secured.

However, it was quickly discovered that the youth on the team, and the shortened season due to the lockout, was too much for the Bucs to overcome. They started out with a 4-2 record, and a lead in the NFC South Division.

After a trip to England to face the Chicago Bears, the Bucs began a slide that continued to the end of the season, and they never won another game (4-12). At the end of the season, Morris and his entire coaching staff were fired.

JIM CALDWELL

After taking over for Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell had a great season coaching the Indianapolis Colts. However, an injury to starting quarterback Peyton Manning and the loss of other key players, sent the Colts to a 2-14 season.

The Colts began their house cleaning by first getting rid of Vice Chairman, Bill Polian, and his son, Chris Polian, as general manager. When they brought in their new general manager, Ryan Grigson, that’s when the decision was made to get rid of Caldwell.

A week before Caldwell got his pink slip, The Oakland Raiders fired coach Hue Jackson. The decision to get rid of Jackson was made by the team’s new general manager, Reggie McKenzie, who said it was time for the organization to “start a new.”

The Raiders finished the season 8-8, and were showing improvement over the past few seasons when they fell short of making the playoffs.

Injuries to key players for the Raiders, especially quarterback Jason Campbell, began to take a toll on the team as the season progressed.

These latest firings leaves only 3 Black coaches in the league: Lovie Smith (Chicago Bears), Marvin Lewis (Cincinnati Bengals), and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers).