NEW YORK (CBSNewYork\/AP) \u2014 Bono and the guys in U2 are big football fans, as in soccer.
So when they sang about \u201cSunday Bloody Sunday\u201d and \u201cNew Year\u2019s Day,\u201d they had no intention of describing the end of the 2016 NFL season.
Yet, the firings of Chip Kelly and Trent Baalke in San Francisco, Mike McCoy in San Diego, and the resignation of Gary Kubiak for health reasons in Denver certainly rang true to those rock classics.
Usually, the axings take place the day after the regular season concludes. Except, of course, for the teams in a rush to get into the personnel market extra early, which in \u201916 were the Jaguars (Gus Bradley), Rams (Jeff Fisher) and Bills (Rex Ryan).
Then-49ers head coach Chip Kelly looks on from the sidelines during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 1, 2017, in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson\/Getty Images)
On Sunday, while other franchises were scrambling to make the playoffs or improve their postseason standing, the coaching carousel spun wildly in California. With Fisher already canned in Los Angeles, Kelly and McCoy became unemployed within an hour of each other.
Both moves were predictable, as was the release of Baalke, whose success as a GM with the 49ers now, it\u2019s clear, was dependent on how Jim Harbaugh molded and improved the players Baalke gave him. Baalke won a power struggle with Harbaugh, who headed to Michigan. The Niners became historically bad without him, and Baalke\u2019s choice of Kelly to work with such a weak roster looks worse than hiring caretaker Jim Tomsula after Harbaugh left. At least Tomsula went 5-11, three more victories than Kelly managed.
Indeed, his only wins in a 2-14 record came against the Rams, so maybe LA owner Stan Kroenke will turn to Kelly.
Don\u2019t count on it.
\u201cDespite my feelings for Trent and Chip, I felt the decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary,\u201d 49ers CEO Jed York said in a statement. \u201cThe performance of this team has not lived up to my expectations or those of our fans, and that is truly disappointing. We all expected to see this team progress and develop as the season went on, but unfortunately that did not happen. That is why now is the time to find a new direction for this team.\u201d
The new direction for the Chargers looks like it will be north a bit to become a tenant of Kroenke and the Rams in the new Inglewood, California palace that will open in a few years. McCoy\u2019s team lost its last five games and finished second for two straight seasons in the tough AFC West. Injuries tore it apart, too, but with the focus on whether the Chargers would move to LA, it was hard to judge what kind of job McCoy was doing.
Apparently Chargers chairman Dean Spanos wants a totally fresh start when the club abandons its long-time home.
Which means both of the new teams in Los Angeles, which was without the NFL since 1995 until the Rams moved back last year, will be riding the coaching carousel.
More moves could be coming, too. Is Chuck Pagano safe in Indianapolis? Might the Saints do something with Sean Payton? What about Bears coach John Fox?
Safe for another year are Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan , who the Jets are bringing back. And Cleveland coach Hue Jackson, despite a 1-15 record. And Marvin Lewis despite the meltdown in Cincinnati.
The saddest news comes from Denver. Never was there a question about Kubiak returning after leading the Broncos to their Super Bowl win last February. But Kubiak\u2019s health issues forced him to step aside, disappointing fans, players and John Elway alike.
\u201cWe love Kube, we love how he treated us,\u201d said cornerback Aqib Talib. \u201cWe pray he gets healthy.\u201d
Denver won\u2019t have any trouble filling Kubiak\u2019s spot. One of the hot candidates, for example, is Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, son of Mike Shanahan, who coached Elway to two Super Bowl championships.
Given how well Kubiak fit in the Broncos\u2019 family, such a hire makes a lot of sense.
Then again, sensibility isn\u2019t always a criteria in NFL coaching circles.
(TM and \u00a9 Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)<\/p>\n

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