New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and Atlanta Falcons Mike Smith will not return to their respective teams next season after both of them were fired on Monday, while San Francisco 49ers mutually parted ways with Jim Harbaugh.

Jets owner Woody Johnson announced that the team decided to cut ties with Ryan along with general manager John Idzik after the team failed to advance to the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

The Jets finished fourth in the American Football Conference East standings with a dismal 4-12 card, the team's worst record since the 2007 NFL season.

Johnson said that their disappointing performance this season is hard to swallow, saying that this year was his most difficult year since taking over 15 years ago.

Johnson praised Ryan and Idzik for their contribution to the club, but he said that they had to make the move in order to assess the current state of their football team. He added that the search for new GM and coach will begin soon, and he will be assisted by former NFL general managers Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf in the process.

Falcons coach Mike Smith suffered the same fate as Ryan on Sunday as team owner Arthur Blank announced his firing, which did not come as a surprise to most NFL analysts.

Previous reports indicated that Blank has been discontented with the way the team performed over the past two seasons under Smith, who joined the Falcons in 2008 together with general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

Smith could have saved his job on Sunday had they finished on top of the National Football Conference South standings. They had a chance to win the NFC South title despite having a losing record, but they took a humbling 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, which dropped their record to 6-10.

On the other hand, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York also announced that they mutually agreed to part ways with coach Harbaugh following their 20-17 win against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

York said in a statement that he talked to Harbaugh on Sunday night and they both agreed that the team needs to go into a different direction next season after failing to make the playoffs this season following three straight trips to the NFC title game.

"Jim and I have come to the conclusion that it is in our mutual best interest to move in different directions," York said in a statement. "We thank Jim for bringing a tremendous competitive nature and a great passion for the game to the 49ers. He and his staff restored a winning culture that has been the standard for our franchise throughout its history."

Harbaugh, who helped the 49ers win two NFC West titles and one Super Bowl appearance during his four-year tenure, will likely not return to coach in the NFL next season as reports also revealed that he has agreed to coach his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines.

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