Worst cases of a team quitting on their coach?

[Freeman McToon]

1994 NY Jets. Dan Marino's fake spike put an immediate end to the feel good story of the mostly downtrodden franchise's pursuit of their first division title since the 1970 merger. They were led by a young, energetic, new age, first year Head Coach who seemed to be fulfilling his potential as perhaps the next big time coach in the league and up to that point seemed to be beloved by his players. 

Then Marino hit Mark Ingram in the end zone with 38 seconds remaining, the Jets lose a game that would have had them in the driver's seat for the division with 4 games remaining in typical "Same 'Ol Jets" fashion, and that was that for that season. 

Veterans like James Hasty & Marvin Washington basically turned sour at everything overnight, and trusted veteran leaders such as Boomer Esiason & Ronnie Lott couldn't keep the team's morale afloat. After the loss to the Dolphins, the 1994 Jets would lose their remaining 4 games playing some of the most uninspired football I ever witnessed to finish the season at 6-10.

A few weeks later that same young, energetic, defensive genius that the team quit on, a man by the name of Pete Carroll, is fired and replaced with Rich Kotite. Kotite's Jets go on a 4-28 tear during his 2 seasons as HC.

Until Bill Parcells takes over in 1997, that Marino-to-Ingram play was an absolute death blow to the 1990s NYJ, with the most immediate effect being the end of Carroll's honeymoon and the team quitting on him for their last 4 games.