Will Jeff Fisher be the new Dolphins Head Coach?

You say overrated, I say he is underrated.
He continually made chicken salad out of chicken sh*t in Tennessee. Some of those 8-8 Titans teams he had had no business sniffing .500.

 

yep .500 football

 

I don't understand you guys ask for answers when all you do is point at stats and say "yeah, but..."

 

only 5 losing seasons. Tenn under Fisher was more successful than Miami over that time span, which includes Miami's 7 straight winning seasons. his career has 3 phases: coached a franchise in transition; Got a QB, almost won the Super Bowl. Legit title threat for a few seasons; After McNair leaves, he is left with Vince Young, nuff said.

he is not an ideal candidate, but he is a good coach. he is widely respected. He would likely bring stability. He seems willing to work with some of the existing parts of the organization rather than demand complete control.

 

I like Fisher and think he's a fine coach, but I don't feel like he's a good fit for the Fins. I'd rather see someone outside the box. From JJ to Saban to Parcells... I'm tired of throwing a bunch of money at the next great savior only to see it blow up in our faces. Lets try something different.

Will Fisher be the next coach? No, I don't believe so.

 

You mean... like Cam Cameron?

 

Where do I begin?

- His teams are well coached, well prepared, and always play sound fundamental football.
- He has a no-nonsense approach that guys really respect.
- His teams play smart, and they very rarely beat themselves.
- He always gets the best out of his players. His teams never underachieve. They win a lot of games they should lose.
- His coaches and his players love him (unless they might be an immature QB with awful technique whom Fisher is forced to draft #3 overall, then forced to play).
- He's a very down-to-earth person. He's not a Hollywood type, a maniacal jerk, or an insecure control freak.
- He's not full of s**t. In the NFL, that is a huge compliment.
- He's great with the media and open to the fans.
- He is always, always respectful.
- He doesn't come across as a know-it-all schmuck.
- His teams seem to have a knack for just running the right play at the right time.

Honestly, he reminds me a lot of Don Shula, and I am... seriously... not just flippantly tossing that out there. I say that with 100% conviction, and with the utmost respect to the great Don Shula.

Now, here are his faults:

- He has a reputation for overruling his offensive coordinator, and going too conservative at times. In 16 seasons, I recall this happening twice.
- He'll make you scratch your head on draft day. However, he does seem to pick guys that fit his team very well.
- He has a philosophy that some think is outdated. I don't agree.

With all that being said, unless Ross really impressed him, I think there is a good chance he will take the job in St Louis. I don't think it will come down to Jeff Ireland, the money, Sam Bradford, or the #2 pick in the 2012 draft. The thing about Fisher is... he really doesn't give a crap about the money. He already has a lot of it, and he has pretty simple tastes. At least, he does in Nashville. Who knows... South Beach might spoil him. He doesn't give a crap about the prestige, or the limelight. Understanding that, Steven Ross might be just a little too 'Hollywood' for his taste. Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps Ross is really just a good guy after all. Either way, Fisher is a guy who loved Nashville because he can go to the mall here and people don't harass him. He spends the off-season mostly at his cabin in Montana. He's a 'solid' guy. I think he's just looking for a 'solid' organization.

Then again, he might simply take the job in Miami because he wants to get a boat, float to Bimini, and land wahoo. He's just that kind of guy.

 

Cameron wasn't outside the box. Cam Cameron is the box. Besides, Tomlin should have gotten the job but was deemed too hip hop by Wayne's merry band of idiots.

 

I have a feeling that Ross would fire Ireland in a heartbeat, if that's what Fisher wants.

 

I don't mind if we fire Ireland because we bring in Fisher... but there's no way I would want Fisher calling the shots over Ireland when it comes to personnel.

 

Fans of the Miami Dolphins, after years of defending Dan Marino against the 'yeah, but he never won a Superbowl' crowd, should know better than to pertly toss around some stat without doing a modicum of research and understanding what it actually means. You guys don't know 10% of what you think you do.

 

Actually, he doesn't want to handle the scouting end of it at all. He just wants to work with a good GM he has a sound relationship with. He's always been that way. He wants a say in personnel matters, however, he always has preferred to work with a team of coaches and scouts. He's no control freak. He just doesn't want to work with idiots or jackasses... which makes me question if he could ever work with Jeff Ireland.

 

Ireland was a ball-boy for the Bears when he was a kid, and Fisher was a player. I'm not sure if they know each other outside of that.

 

The South Florida media is laughably inept. With Darlington leaving, Barry Jackson is the closest thing to a real journalist on the Dolphins beat this city has.

 

Eh, I don't buy it. Just like I didn't buy it last year when LeBatard went on his show and told everyone that Harbaugh to Miami was a done deal. If someone really knew something, it would get leaked to one of the big boys not Sid. When something does break it will be Schefter, Glazer or Mort breaking it.

 

Sid's Twitter feed is pretty hilarious.

 

Nice post Pads. One of the most entertaining threads of the off season so far.

On one hand, I'd be interested to see what Fisher could do with a blank check. On the other, I really liked the way these guys finished and am not opposed to keeping the core staff intact. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about Bowles I really like.

 

Well...If Ireland is willing to take a lesser position, Fishers ball boy would be a job he was actually qualified for.

 

Ireland is neither. He just isn't a very social gregarious type. Like KB21 said in Club Level, the two of them may be a good pairing. Fisher could be the front man, since he is good with the media, and Ireland is better suited to just working behind the scenes.

 

Thanks for clearing that up for me. My magic 8-ball just keeps saying, "Concentrate and ask again."

 

You're right... they could make it work. Ireland just sorta comes across to me as a bit of a smug jerk. I have no real clue as to how he really is. It's just a hunch. However, I'm not one to mistake my opinion as fact. Buuuuuuut, that's just me.

 

That douche is still on the radio in Miami?
Shows you how many NY'ers are down there to keep that windbag relevant.
Those "Jersey Shore" types certainly stick together.

 

I'm not sold on Fisher either.

Problem is that if Fisher isn't the guy then who is?
Yet again we seem to have a problem with timing and when we have high draft picks/when we decide to make coaching changes.

If Ross is dead set on an experienced guy then there aren't very exciting options out there.

If we are willing to go gamble on finding the next young Shula who will be conducting that search and will they really be putting the proper effort into really digging and turning over stones. If were going for the next young prospect we should be bringing in a lot of prospects to interview.

Worried we'll just settle for the easiest options rather than having someone that can really conduct a serious and in depth search for the best option.

 

He would be an upgrade for the Fins but I think the St Louis job will be what he want's.

 

Tangible enough??

When you have owners who are consistently in the day to day affairs of an NFL franchise, your success rate is low.

Bud Adams
Al Davis
Jerry Jones

In the demise of Jeff Fisher's tenure at Tennessee, Fisher did NOT want Vince Young, he wanted Matt Leinart (hindsight being 20/20, both were busts however at the time...), but Vince Young was FORCED on Jeff Fisher,

Bud Adams forced Vince Young on Jeff Fisher
Al Davis forced JaMarcus Russell on Lane Kiffin
Jerry Jones forced...a DOZEN QB's on the head coaches since Jimmy Johnson.

That hasn't worked out too well, has it?

Steven Ross would NOT be forcing players on the coach to play. Steven Ross didn't FORCE Chad Henne to be played over Chad Pennington, that was a coach's decision. Steven Ross didn't FORCE Chad Henne to be played over Matt Moore, that was a coach's decision.

Ross, unlike the aforementioned owners has allowed Sparano to make his own decisions and held him accountable for the results. Ross would do the same thing with Jeff Fisher or any other head coach he hires. Allow the head coach to make the calls on who starts and hold him accountable for the results.

Jeff Fisher didn't enjoy that luxury in Tennessee. Fisher was a coach on a leash held by Bud Adams. Bud Adams, in his day like Al Davis was a GREAT football man, but this is the 21st century, not the 1960's.

Now for the point that I bring up that nobody seems to agree with...about head coaches winning a Super Bowl with two separate teams...Fisher lost the Super Bowl while in Tennessee...just as Dick Vermiel did in Philadelphia, just as Don Shula did in Baltimore, just as Dan Reeves did in Denver.

Maybe, just MAYBE he'll have better luck the second time around.

 

That's exactly right. Fisher and OC Norm Chow both wanted Leinart, as they were USC guys. GM Floyd Reese wanted Cutler. Bud Adams wanted his Longhorns QB. Owner micromanagement can be a bee-yotch.

 

Yeah. My gut tells me he's going to the Rams.

 

Yeah I'm giving Fisher the benefit of the doubt. The Titans from 1999-2008 were 5th in the NFL in wins, I think behind only the Patriots, Colts, Steelers and Packers. Certainly fine company. Of course his first seasons were bad, rookie head coach+rebuilding team+cheap owner, not a recipe for success. So disregard 1995-1998, afterall Shula didn't make the playoffs until his 6th year.

Then you have 13-3, 13-3, 7-9, 11-5, 12-4, 5-11, 4-12 (ouch), 8-8, 10-6, 13-3, 8-8, 6-10. A few poor seasons thrown in, but again, cheap owner who also forced VY on him when he wanted Jay Cutler...turns out Cutler is much better. By the way, that record is much better than Miami's in that time, obviously. Dolphins haven't been above 11-5 since 1990, I would gladly take what they had. Anyone who isn't a Pats, Pack, Steelers or Colts fan would gladly take the Titans records from 1999-2008.

 

well I think some of you guys are a little too picky We dont have a qb , we have a goofy owner if we miss out on a good coach it will be all on the owner's shoulder.

Jeff Fisher is exactly the coach we need. isometimes gentlemen a coach can stay with a team too long and he gets burned out. Fisher may not be perfect but We are not getting another Don Shula . I will say this though, i would not be suprised if we somehow hire Les Miles or Jon Gruden . hell i would not be shocked if Les became our next coach and i would not be shocked if he started kicking fat boy and the cheater's butts.

as long as the canidate isnt a Tony Sparano clone i will be happy.

 

Sparano did not have Ross telling him what to do, that is true. He did however have Parcells telling him what to do. How is that different?

Sparano, couldn't even pick his own coordinators. He had Pat White & Chad Henne forced on him. He didn't have a team move, but he did have severely strike shortened offseason. Yet, all that is out the window with Sparano, but similar stuff is Fisher's saving grace.

***Note*** I am in no way saying Sparano is a great coach, I'm only pointing out there's little difference between him and Fisher other than a sweet mullet.

 

Thanks for a well thought detailed post. If all that you say is true, I could get fully behind this choice as a coach. In that event, one has to hope Ireland or whoever Fisher brings in pull some GM magic. If that all proves to be the case, we could be in damn good shape. Either way, he sounds like a coach I'd be happy with.

Thanks again for a solid post

 

Imo, he won't, the superlatives coming from him about Ross were just to public and rosey for my taste..I think it was a nice way of saying thanks, but no thanks.

 

That, and also his way of telling St. Louis they should sweeten the pot.

 

i think hes going to pick the rams but who knows lol

 

Wrong. Shula made the playoffs in his 2nd season in Baltimore and his first season in Miami.