In his first head coaching gig, Dan Quinn inherited a 6-10 Atlanta Falcons and made solid progress in Year 1. He finished 8-8 in 2015, his first year in charge.
He built on that the following season, climbing all the way to 11-5 and a trip to the Super Bowl. Quinn made the divisional round of the playoffs in his third year, then slid back below .500 in 2018 and 2019. After beginning 2020 with five straight losses, he was fired.
It is not atypical for successful coaches to follow a similar pattern of steady rise and gradual decline.