Wonder why some teams stay mediocre? Over and over again they make the same mistakes. Although this is Ross' first time, making this mistake, still there is enough of a history to learn from. How many teams have made a splash by hiring a big name college coach with little to no NFL experience only to learn its a mistake. We only need to look at our recent history to understand the gamble that has a low % of paying off. Jimmy Johnson at Dallas is about the only exception!!! Short list: Saban (Dolphins) Pertrino (Falcons) Spurrier (Redskins) I still say you: 1. Keep Ireland/Sporano/Nolan > focus on an OC that can gameplan to Henne's strengths. 2. Keep Ireland/Sporano/Nolan > hire a new OC and trade what you have to in order to get a franchise QB. 3. Bring in Cowher (or Fisher) and give him the keys - risking Ireland, Nolan, Henne. Let him build his team with a core of YOUNG defensive studs. Both of these coaches are proven winners over a sustained period. I am not a fan of an unproven college coach or Gruden at all!!!
Before a kid named Luck was on the football team, did you ever hear of Harbaughs coaching prowress? Neither did I. Take Luck out of the equation at Stanford and we would all be saying WHO ? is the Stanford coach. Dude was in the right place at the right time and is now going to cash in on the coat tails of his great QB. end of story.
First and foremost, I want what is best for the Dolphins. With that in mind, Harbaugh is a better solution, imo, than Sparano. Harbaugh has coaching experience in the NFL with Oakland. Did you hear of Rich Gannon prior to them going to the Super Bowl in 2002? Harbaugh was an offensive assistant/QB coach. He was an NFL player that actually started and went to the playoffs. He turned around a program that went 1-11. In the end, I would take him over Sparano, Henning, and Lee with the hope he will: A) groom Henne to actually play QB or 2) get a new QB.
I could see Harbaugh as an OC, but IMO the rumored 7 or 8 million a year is a huge gamble. Look at this way - would you take P. Manning/D. Brees/T. Brady (i.e. Cowher) and pay make them the highest paid player in the league, bringing in whatever offensive player they wanted to bring from their current team or would you take Luck (i.e. Harbaugh) and make him the highest paid player in the league leaving most of the current team as is (not factoring in years remaining). You would jump at the chance to bring in a P Manning or T Brady with any of the players they wanted. WHY??? Because they have proven what they can do at the NFL level, so has Cowher. Can't say the same for Luck and/or Harbaugh. This is just a repeating trend that isn't favorable. 1. Bring in hot college coach with no NFL Head Coaching experience, giving him the keys to the franchise and a blank check (N Saban). 2. Have a top 5 young defense that is under the radar and can't make a serious run because the offense continues to struggle (late 90's early 00's Dolphins). In the end as a Dolphan, I hope it all works out for the best and he matches/exceeds the success his brother has had. I would much rather be wrong and see the Dolphins destroy the AFC East teams in route to a Super Bowl (or 2).
