I previously put out a thread on "The Best Course" and thought I'd follow this up with an important point. Of course, it's uncertain that Ross will change the man at the top and I'm probably leaning in that direction but might be 50/50 if we go for a good coordinator and keep Nolan. Some have already argued that Nolan is not a good candidate for HC b/c he failed at SF. While others are clamoring for Gruden or Cowher. But, there are problems with these perspectives. Going after coaches that have won titles previously (e.g. Cowher, Gruden) is fools gold. Some facts to know: 1. No coach in the SB era has ever won a title with two different teams. 2. Only two coaches in NFL history have won titles with two different teams and that goes back so far as to be irrelevant in the modern age: - Jimmy Conzelman (1928, 1948) - Guy Chamberlain (both titles in the 20's). Not household names, to be sure and really not applicable as they did not coach in this era. 3. Only one coach has won a title with a team, stopped coaching, and returned to win another title coaching the same team - the immortal George Halas, with the bears (of course, he was the owner the entire time). His last title was in 1963. The list of coaches who have coached a team to a title and failed at their second team is long and filled with HOF names: • Joe Gibbs • Paul Brown • Jimmy Johnson (Cowboys) • Bill Parcells • Shanahan • Seifert • Stram • Ditka • Holmgren • Gilman • George Wilson (Lions to Dolphins) • Lou Saban • Lambeau • Flaherty (One could include Lombardi on this list - coaching the 'Skins in 69 but it would be unfair to do that as he coached one season - successfully, and died the following year of cancer). Coaches that succeeded in winning a title after failing with a previous team: • Belichick (Browns to Pats) • Dungy (Bucs to Colts) • Shula (Colts to Dolphins) • Gruden (Raiders to Bucs) • Gilman (Rams to Chargers) • Vermeil (Eagles to Rams) • Coughlin (Jags to Giants) Of course, history does not dictate that a coach cannot win a title with two teams. But, the fact is, in the modern era, it just doesn't happen. History weighs heavily against (100% in the modern era) coaches who have won titles with one team, winning titles with another. The closest in the modern era was Mike Holmgren (with Seattle). Yet, coaches that have failed to win with one team and gone on to win a title in their next coaching stint are not uncommon. This is one reason I see Mike Nolan as a favorable candidate; and a better candidate than even Cowher or certainly Gruden. However, I would want Nolan to be comfortable with a top Offensive Coordinator candidate (either a young one like the QB coach at Philly or someone like Kubiak or Turner should they be let go by their teams). But, in my view, all points say to stay away from Cowher. I like Cowher as a coach but history is strongly against him. Were he to win a title with another team, it would be arguably one of (if not the) the greatest coaching feats in modern NFL history.
Damn it! I really like Coach Sparano and Jeff Ireland. For the first time since Shula was ousted I feel like we have a real, commited football guy as coach. None of Jimmy Johnson's wishy-washiness. None of Wannstedt's ineptness. None of Saban's Napoleon complex. None of Cameron's nerdy "Fail, Forward, Fast" nonsense. Clearly, Sparano deserves his share of blame. The constant screwing around with the offensive line to the point that he finally broke a good unit that, ironically, he built to start with, the all too willing to play for a field goal style instead of having a killer instinct when you can and should put a team away, the poor clock management and sticking with Henning as long as he has. Ultimately, he is the coach and the lions share of responsibility should be his, but shouldn't we be looking to hold Parcells accountable for this as well? Parcells put the staff together and brought Henning on board. Parcells, while pulling Ireland's strings, is the one who wasted a 2nd round pick on Pat White. Parcells is the one who bailed out on this team before he finished what he came here to do. Guys, Ireland has brought more talent on this team and has drafted better than anyone has in Miami in 30 years. Sure he has had a couple of misses, but every personnel guy does. We can debate the decision of Long over Ryan till the cows come home, but I still feel the right decision was made. The offensive line was so depleted there was not really much of a choice, IMO. The last thing we need to do is to embark on yet another philosophy change and tear this team apart before it is finished. There is only a couple more pieces needed on offense, admitedly a large piece at Qb, from fixing that unit. Stay the course people. Bill Cowher, everyone's favorite flavor at the moment, took 15 years to win a Superbowl in Pittsburgh and endured 3 losing seasons in a row at one point a few years in his tenure there. Instead of scraping everything why don't we get a competent OC, like we did on D last year and draft some offensive players like we did last year. Huge improvement on that side of the ball this year and there is nothing that says that can't happen for the offense next year. I am as PO'ed as everyone else here but cooler heads must prevail on this .
I understand your point but if you look at the history of trends they are eventually broken. Don Shula had the reputation of not being able to win the big one after he lost a couple of SBs.He disproved that. The Redsox had the Bambino curse .They would never be able to beat the Yankees in a championship game.That went by the wayside. There are numerous other examples. I think eventually there will be a coach who will win SBs with two teams.
If you make Nolan your Head Coach.....bring Singletary as DC. Maybe you can get an OC that adds excitement.
This. Sporano is a young HC and he's doing ok. Hes had some major foulups, but as you pointed out, we went from a hapless team to a pretty talented one over a few years. we can't keep scrapping and building from scratch. Most of the current "dynasty" teams have been built by coaches who were retained despite mediocre records for a long time. Yes teams turn around over night, but often that's because they display a change of pace, and the league eventually catches up with them. True solid teams are built over time IMO. This has been a miserable end to the season, and I honestly couldn't blame Ross for replacing stony. Buy I love the guy,'and it'd be a big mistake IMO to do so. Ireland has been a top notch drafter, we're missing pieces, but we were aware of that after the Eannatedt era. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tony is now 0-6 his last two Decembers. He will likely be 0 for January the last two seasons after next week. What exactly are we staying the course with?
Da Fin's,Iam not going to take into account prior NFL history when deciding who the next coach is going to be. just find the right man for the daunting job, a man who can make players reach their optimum levels of performance and unite.
True, there is always a 1st for everything. We were the 1st team to go from 1-15 to winning a division the next year.
Huh ? Top notch drafter ? I think he's been mediocre so far. He's missed on as many as some of the other GM's we have had here. Especially on offense. Henne, so far a bust, Shawn Murphy, total bust, Pat White (bust, not even playing football any longer he was so bad), Pat Turner (bust), John Jerry (jury is still out on him), Brian Hartline (jury still out on him too). Even his offensive FA signings have been bad. Wilford (bust), Brandon Marshall (meh ! didn't show me a lot this year), Thigpen (again meh ! did he come via trade or FA ? Doesn't matter though he is still - meh !) Tell me other than defense why you think Ireland is a "top notch drafter", and why should he be given the job of rebuilding the offense ?
Friend Da 'Fins: as usual, an excellent thread, well thought out & written however the simple truth is: its time for a new beginning can't expect winning results from repeatedly making the same mistakes nobody wants an average team, its time to contend we need a new head coach & an offensive make-over HC OC QB C G RB it is what it is
Other than half the makeup of a football team you mean? How in the world can you look at the amount of startable players we've gotten over the last 3 years of the draft and say "well outside of defense they suck". Koa Misi (kids working out to be a stud), Sean Smith, Vontae Davis, etc. etc. He took a team totally devoid of talent and has drafted starter after starter. I don't have time to look them all up, but it's well documented that the guy has a great talent for snagging starters throughout the draft. On top of that he brought in Carlos Dansby, Cameron Wake, and Brandon Marshall, Davon Bess. yes, he's had some misfires, some fairly major ones, but he's building a damn good team in a short amount of time. We're young and talented. That's the foundation for long term success. Compared to previous regimes we have a HUGE percentage of draft picks contributing right away. Most of the busts (outside of Hagan and White) that you listed the jury is still out on. Many of the others are current contributors. He took a dismal defense and turned it into a top notch defense. Sorry, but Ireland is not the problem.
While I agree (and stated in the original thread) that history can be broken ("Of course, history does not dictate that a coach cannot win a title with two teams"), still, when you have that many failures by that many great / HOF coaches (we're not talking about Jim Zorns here), then let the buy beware of the likes of Cowher and / or Gruden. I think part of the reason is power but also that it takes an entire organization to win a SB; and maybe those coaches don't have the sense of fear of failure or drive (as well as not having the organizational continuity).
Those "fmr" types tend to lose that fire, the only one that I have seen avoid it is Dick Vermeil, out of the game for 12 yrs, I thought the Rams were nutz to recycle him as he left due to burnout, but he took the Eagles to the SB and the Rams with wildly different teams. Big picture, and I think Sparano and Irish are staying based on a Darlington article today, but we would be better served finding an offensive genius who no one really knows rather than a recycled HC..my .02 cents.
He has not drafted any better than jimmy johnson who like ireland built a really good defence (johnsons was better) but neither could bring in the right players on offence to win a championship.Don't even get me started on the special team bums ireland brought in.
On this point I have to agree that this GM has been almost a repeat of JJ in terms of drafting and developing effective defensive talent but largely laying an egg with offensive acquisitions. And, they have spent arguably as much or more $$ on offense (factoring in fat contracts to Carey, Grove, Smiley, Marshall & of course Jake Long as the #1 pick). But, I would be skeptical of bringing in a former SB winning coach. Hate to be wishy-washy but I really am 50/50 on Sparano. I'm probably 100% against Gruden and 95% against Cowher for the reasons stated above. But, Ireland has to focus virtually the entire offseason on offense (both coaching and talent accumulation); with a bit of attention to the ILB slot (where I think Crowder must be replaced).
Damn good team ? Did you miss the fact we have the 2nd worst offense in the NFL ? We have a QB that is a turnover machine, especially when the game is on the line. Who is the King of Checkdowns, who blames the fans for booing him when he has just started & lost 8 of the last 10 home games ? There is more to a team than defense. Whatever they have done for offense so far, its not worked, not at all.....bro what on offense do you see that excites you ? Henne ? He's been hugely disappointing, and now the fans have turned on him. He has started getting the Sammie Smith treatment. What have they done for our RB position ? Brown & Williams are old and you need a QB ? So do you sacrifice next years as well by breaking in a new RB next year instead of a QB ? Try selling that to a fanbase that is angry with the QB already, telling them he is your answer for next year too. Bro.....he totally screwed his chance here with his decisions, especially his FA misses. Bess as an UDFA should be a luxury find, not to make up for a draft pick miss. That is how a championship team is built. A GM that has this many misses is trully struggling, and I think its one reason that Parcells walked away before the season. If we had lost at GB, and the Jets, and Minnesota, it might acutally been better for us in hindsight, because that QB of the future might have been in our grasp. Its getting very old, year after year to be b*tching and not be happy at the end of a season, or even just hopefull. Its getting reaally old. Don't get me wrong I love the Dolphins and always will, but its taking a toll on me, and I have lost some of that "fire in the belly" love I used to have for them.
I agree 100 % and I am not sure how they are going to build an offence in one draft.They need a at least two interior lineman,a rb,te,speed receiver who can also be a return man,and the most important piece a qb.With the amount of draft picks they have how can they possibly hit on all of these weakness. Not to mention the fact we have the highest paid left tackle,wr,mbl,slot receiver in the nfl.We are not going to be able to overpay for any more players at key postions on offence. I don't see this team making the playoffs next year either unless we hit on 80% of picks next year.
I think our players are a bit out of touch with reality these days , because as thin as my patience has been stretched, this fandom wants heads plain and simple. Crowders out there crying about boos, when he ought to be glad their not getting stoned. Good, bad, fair, or unruly, this fanbase is what it is at this point, and not much is gonna alter that THIS season. Loosing at home against the leagues perennial bottom feeders, is like a slow moving herd of deer parading their weak and sickly around each week, in front of real wolves, that now are pacing back and forth, looking to feed on anything, because they havn't fed in weeks, and were already eating their young at the last feeding. I understand why they haven't cut Henning loose yet, as he's the sacrifical lamb thats suppose to save their hides, but in looking ahead to next weeks opponent, they better be gathering up some additional offensive assistants to stand alongside henning, because the table is set for Belichick to wind up his guns Sunday, and fire up a raging barbeque. One that may give these wolves something real to howl about.
