APOne of the first rules of coaching searches has always been that if the last guy was fat, the next guy will be skinny.
So it’s no surprise that the Dolphins are warming to the more personal approach of new coach Joe Philbin and his staff.
“I was really impressed that he came in and obviously set the expectations for the team, but then he set the expectations of the coaching staff, too, and what we can expect from them,” guard Richie Incognito said, per Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post. “So it’s kind of a reciprocal thing. And any time you’re in a situation like that, like, ‘We’re in this together,’ it really garners respect. So I was really impressed by that.”
It’s easy for Philbin to come off as charming, especially since Tony Sparano’s relationship with his team grew so sour. Linebacker Kevin Burnett recalled that when the Dolphins started the year 0-6, Sparano told the team: “‘You know what? If you guys want to lose and be 0-16 and get me out of here, no problem. But guess what? I’m not going to be the only one gone, and that’s just the reality of this business.’”
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross talked a lot about transparency during his conference call with season ticket holders earlier this week, and that philosophy seems to be extending to the coaching staff as well.
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The NFL off-season… where all coaches are HOF-worthy, all players look AMAZING in practice, and all teams plan on being in the Super Bowl the next year.
Not sure where you are coming from on this one. Sparano was a hard nosed Parcells type coach but the players loved playing for him. Numerous players went to the media and publicly asked Ross not to fire him. Firing Sparano was obviously the right move but the players always played hard for Sparano and he never lost the locker room.
You have to start somewhere. I like the moves so far now that the over rated Tuna is no longer calling the shots. Getting rid of Marshall might seem short sighted at first, but I am willing to see what this coach has in mind to make us forget about him.
Wow! A neutral story on the Dolphins? Never under estimate Coaching. The Dolphins for decades under Don Shula with average at best players seem to be the Winningest Team in the NFL ( still true to this day). Without the Parcells/ Miami Cowboys experiments, we easily should have had winning seasons. Sparano ” played not to lose”. One bad Ref call or a single melt-down in the final minutes always happened. Over the past 5 years the Dolphins had the closest margin of defeat, meaning it could have gone either way.
I am a High School Head Coach for Football and Lacrosse for over 18 years. As our Playbook, Schemes and Personnel changes, the one constant we preach is always (A.C.E.) Attitude, Committment and Execution.
Philbin is going to be a great head coach. Wait and see.
It’s easy for Philbin to come off as charming, especially since Tony Sparano’s relationship with his team grew so sour. Linebacker Kevin Burnett recalled that when the Dolphins started the year 0-6, Sparano told the team: “‘You know what? If you guys want to lose and be 0-16 and get me out of here, no problem. But guess what? I’m not going to be the only one gone, and that’s just the reality of this business.’”
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whats wrong with what sparano said??? it was only the truth!!!!
Not many AFC east teams have ever run the West Coast offense, it will be interesting to see what happens.
Players also said they hated playing for him because all he did was yell or whisper. They also said that they were very afraid to make a mistake because of sparano’s behaviors and it made them gun shy because they over thought everything.
Joe Philbin is a good coach and a fine person. But as long as Stephen Ross owns the franchise, the Dolphins aren’t going anywhere.
i don’t think sparano was that good of a coach, but i see nothing wrong with that quote. its true, and the players responded to it. they realized their asses were on the line too and played pretty good ball down the stretch.