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By Sean Gregory

It has been a rough new year for football coaches. No fewer than seven NFL signal callers either were fired at the end of the season or quit rather than continue to take the heat. Some, like Dick Jauron of the Chicago Bears, Dave McGinnis of the Arizona Cardinals and Gregg Williams of the Buffalo Bills, were taking the fall for teams with a recent history of woes. But several started the season with good reason for optimism and expected to be working on play-off game plans, not their resumes, this month. Here's a look at some of the most surprising downfalls.

--By Sean Gregory

JIM FASSEL

New York Giants Record this year: 4-12

HIGH HOPES: Well liked by players, he led the Giants to three postseason appearances in six years, including last year's play-offs and the 2001 Super Bowl.

LOW POINTS: After the team repeatedly blew games and sank out of play-off contention, the Giants announced Fassel's firing with two games to go. For their lame-duck coach ... the Giants finished 0-2.

FAREWELL: "Life goes on. It's been all good."

BILL CALLAHAN

Oakland Raiders [Record this year]: 4-12

HIGH HOPES: For its rookie coach last season, the Silver and Black reached the Super Bowl.

LOW POINTS: Light punishment for linebacker Bill Romanowski's slugging of a backup tight end helped spark a mutiny. After a loss to the Denver Broncos, Callahan called his Raiders "the dumbest team in America."

FAREWELL: "Nobody trusts a word he says," says wide receiver Tim Brown.

DAN REEVES

Atlanta Falcons [Record this year]: 5-11

HIGH HOPES: With one of the league's rising stars, quarterback Michael Vick, the Falcons won a play-off game last year and looked like comers.

LOW POINTS: Vick smashed his leg and missed the first 11 games. After a 1-6 start, Deion Sanders even campaigned for Reeves' job on national TV. With three games to go, Reeves was fired.

FAREWELL: "Dan is a sweet guy, very sweet," says Vick.

STEVE SPURRIER

Washington Redskins [Record this year]: 5-11

HIGH HOPES: After 12 years as head coach at the University of Florida, the reputed offensive genius was hired to turn around the Redskins for the highest coach's salary in the NFL.

LOW POINTS: Despite high-priced free agents, the team's offense sputtered (ranking 23rd in the league), and the Redskins posted their worst record in nine years.

FAREWELL: "The whole thing wasn't working."