Dolphins owner Stephen Ross extended Joe Philbin’s contract through the 2016 season six months ago, but Philbin was fired on Monday after a 1-3 start to a season that started with much higher expectations in Miami.
In a statement about the firing, Ross called it a difficult decision to make but one that he thinks can lead to improved results on the field.
“This was a tough decision for me to make knowing how tirelessly Joe worked in his four years here to make this a winning team,” Ross said. “He is a man of the highest character and integrity that I developed a close personal relationship with. I am extremely disappointed with how we have started the season, but I feel confident that we can improve quickly with the talent we have on our roster. We will soon be announcing an interim coach to lead the team going forward.”
Philbin, who was 24-28 in three-plus years with the team, also released a statement thanking Ross for the opportunity and the team’s players for representing the team with “dignity and class.”
Tight end coach Dan Campbell is expected to be the interim coach and it’s not clear at this point if there are other changes coming to the coaching staff, although there have been reports that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle’s job is also at risk. Campbell could wind up with the job for the long term, but the fact that the Dolphins have now fired their last two head coaches in the middle of a season suggests that better work needs to be done behind the scenes in the organization before the next permanent hire is made.