Samphin
Dolphins Homer
So, another day has passed and Nick Saban has officially been announced and introduced as Alabama's head coach. Given everything that has come out about Nick over the past few days relative (sorry) to his character, I am beginning to think this is a great thing for Miami. I mean, the guy publicly stated his heart wasn't here in Miami, he lied to everyone and anyone about a myriad of subjects and has exposed himself as a bald face liar who the national and local medias are simply torching.
But where does that leave Miami? We are still wading in the deep end of the muck ourselves. We have no coach a GM with no power and may not be around. Questions about our quarterbacks, wide receivers, linemen on both sides of the ball and a Hall of Fame defensive end thinking about retirement. Needless to say, whoever the new coach is, will have a lot to work on.
But who will that new coach be? A list has certainly started with some impressive names so far, but no one knows for sure who and why certain coaches will or won't work. So lets try to take a few minutes and review some of the names being bandied about.
Bill Cowher
Talk about curing a head coach hangover quickly! Bill Cowher, in a matter of hours, will no longer be the head coach of the Steelers, a position he has manned for seemingly ever. He doesn't appear to be retiring from coaching, simply from the Steelers. So what does that mean? It means he could possibly be had for some ocmpensation and a hefty price tag.
It has been rumored that part of, if not all of the reason for Cowher leaving the Steel City is due to money. The man just beat Mike Holmgren in the Super Bowl, yet he is paid much less than Mike and some of the other top coaches in the league. So, in theory, Bill still wants to coach, just for some more money and an opportunity elsewhere.
There are a lot of advantages for Cowher in coming to Miami. First off, he has another great owner to work for who will spare no expense to make this team a winner and keep his coach happy. He also walks into a situation where the talent level is good and with proper coaching, can be brought back to the playoffs within a year or two. Perhaps most importantly, he has two coordinators that originate from his coaching tree in Mike Mularkey and Dom Capers. I should also point out that those two had their biggest successes working under Bill Cowher.
Everything seems to be a perfect fit, so why not do it right? Well, it isn't that simple. You see, If Wayne is hell bent on getting Bill Cowher to coach this team, he is going to have to do it at the expense of what is most likely a first round draft pick, if not more. When you consider that that pick is in the top 10, it simply doesn't make sense to handicap your new coach by taking away his assets in drafting. Unless ocmpensation is much less or nothing, I don't see Cowher roaming Miami's sidelines in 2007 and beyond.
Cam Cameron
This is a name and person we know for a fact Miami is interested in. They have already asked permission to talk to the Offensive Coordinator from San Diego who is in high demand. And really, why shouldn't he be? He has the orchestrator of perhaps one of the greatest running attacks of all time in 2006 with L.T. and knows how to use quarterbacks who lack experience/talent by utilizing tight ends and receivers effectively.
Seeing how Miami's only real NON question mark on offense this offseason is the starting tailback position, it is probably best to tailor an offense around Ronnie Brown. Ronnie has proven he can handle the load and has often been compared to L.T. for his combination of size and speed as well as the ability to catch and run out of the backfield. Cam would certainly know what to do with a back like Ronnie and could probably help ease Daunte/Cleo/rookie QB in running his style of offense as well.
There are some drawbacks however. First off, this would mean, yet another new offensive system for players like Chambers, McMichael and Co. to learn. Plus, Cameron's track record as a head coach in the past hasn't been so great. Another thing to think about is really how much of L.T.'s success was due to Cameron's offense and not just his pure talent alone. It could be very misleading.
Cam Cameron is going to be a head coach in this league someday. It could be this year with Miami, or Arizona, or Oakland or any other number of places that have coaching vacancies. You just have to wonder if he can handle it.
Ron Rivera/Ron Turner
Da' Bears certainly proved that 2005 wasn't a fluke. Having secured the number one seed in the NFC was certain to makes these guys in high demand, especially Rivera, who runs the defense. Ron Turner is somewhat surprising when you consider the Bears offense late in the season, but people are overlooking how good the offensive line and running game is. A lot of that can be attributed to Turner.
Now, my question to all of you who are in favor of either of these two, is this. Anyone remember what happened the last time we hired a guy our of Chicago? His name used to be the most hated coach in Dolphins history up until Saban decided he wanted that moniker. With Rivera, you know you are getting a guy who can build a defense. The problem is, we don't need to build a defense, and the defense he builds would most assuredly mean sweeping changes throughout our lockerroom.
As for Turner, I simply cannot ignore Rex Grossman and how terrible the receivers have been in Chicago. For as much credit as you want to give him for the o-line and running backs, you have to give blame for the other facets of that offense as well. I consider him a longshot for this position. And if I had to choose between the two, I would go with Rivera.
Dom Capers/Mike Mularkey
Hmmm, one is loved in Miami, the other is villified. I will let you guess which is which. However, both have certain positives to them. First and foremost, both have been head coaches before. That counts for something. Second, both are here in Miami already and both are familiar with the players, atmosphere and staff of the Dolphins. Furthermore, their schemes are already somewhat in place for their respective sides of the ball. Continuity is always a good thing (ahem like having your head coach not abandon you...just saying)
However, the drawbacks are blinding with both as well. Neither one had huge success as a head coach (Capers much moreso but nothing electric). Furthermore, in Mularkey's case, his playcalling has been suspect at best and leaves no confidence in anyone that it would get any better if he had complete control. As for Capers, he simply cannot seem to get it done with younger players. His greatest success was with a Panthers team that was loaded with veterans via free agency. Once that team got younger, it stunk. As did the Texans when he coached them. His track record is simply not the greatest.
So there you have it. Other candidates are sure to surface, but these are the main ones I have seen so far. The decision is ultimately going to be up to Wayne. Afterall, the Dolphins are his and any investment made will be on his dime. Traditionally, Wayne has tried to make a splash while looking for a coach. Whether it be replacing Shula with Johnson or sitting on a tarmac for two days to get Nick Saban, Nick has always had a flair for the dramatic. Lets just hope he has a flair for the talented winner as well.
But where does that leave Miami? We are still wading in the deep end of the muck ourselves. We have no coach a GM with no power and may not be around. Questions about our quarterbacks, wide receivers, linemen on both sides of the ball and a Hall of Fame defensive end thinking about retirement. Needless to say, whoever the new coach is, will have a lot to work on.
But who will that new coach be? A list has certainly started with some impressive names so far, but no one knows for sure who and why certain coaches will or won't work. So lets try to take a few minutes and review some of the names being bandied about.
Bill Cowher
Talk about curing a head coach hangover quickly! Bill Cowher, in a matter of hours, will no longer be the head coach of the Steelers, a position he has manned for seemingly ever. He doesn't appear to be retiring from coaching, simply from the Steelers. So what does that mean? It means he could possibly be had for some ocmpensation and a hefty price tag.
It has been rumored that part of, if not all of the reason for Cowher leaving the Steel City is due to money. The man just beat Mike Holmgren in the Super Bowl, yet he is paid much less than Mike and some of the other top coaches in the league. So, in theory, Bill still wants to coach, just for some more money and an opportunity elsewhere.
There are a lot of advantages for Cowher in coming to Miami. First off, he has another great owner to work for who will spare no expense to make this team a winner and keep his coach happy. He also walks into a situation where the talent level is good and with proper coaching, can be brought back to the playoffs within a year or two. Perhaps most importantly, he has two coordinators that originate from his coaching tree in Mike Mularkey and Dom Capers. I should also point out that those two had their biggest successes working under Bill Cowher.
Everything seems to be a perfect fit, so why not do it right? Well, it isn't that simple. You see, If Wayne is hell bent on getting Bill Cowher to coach this team, he is going to have to do it at the expense of what is most likely a first round draft pick, if not more. When you consider that that pick is in the top 10, it simply doesn't make sense to handicap your new coach by taking away his assets in drafting. Unless ocmpensation is much less or nothing, I don't see Cowher roaming Miami's sidelines in 2007 and beyond.
Cam Cameron
This is a name and person we know for a fact Miami is interested in. They have already asked permission to talk to the Offensive Coordinator from San Diego who is in high demand. And really, why shouldn't he be? He has the orchestrator of perhaps one of the greatest running attacks of all time in 2006 with L.T. and knows how to use quarterbacks who lack experience/talent by utilizing tight ends and receivers effectively.
Seeing how Miami's only real NON question mark on offense this offseason is the starting tailback position, it is probably best to tailor an offense around Ronnie Brown. Ronnie has proven he can handle the load and has often been compared to L.T. for his combination of size and speed as well as the ability to catch and run out of the backfield. Cam would certainly know what to do with a back like Ronnie and could probably help ease Daunte/Cleo/rookie QB in running his style of offense as well.
There are some drawbacks however. First off, this would mean, yet another new offensive system for players like Chambers, McMichael and Co. to learn. Plus, Cameron's track record as a head coach in the past hasn't been so great. Another thing to think about is really how much of L.T.'s success was due to Cameron's offense and not just his pure talent alone. It could be very misleading.
Cam Cameron is going to be a head coach in this league someday. It could be this year with Miami, or Arizona, or Oakland or any other number of places that have coaching vacancies. You just have to wonder if he can handle it.
Ron Rivera/Ron Turner
Da' Bears certainly proved that 2005 wasn't a fluke. Having secured the number one seed in the NFC was certain to makes these guys in high demand, especially Rivera, who runs the defense. Ron Turner is somewhat surprising when you consider the Bears offense late in the season, but people are overlooking how good the offensive line and running game is. A lot of that can be attributed to Turner.
Now, my question to all of you who are in favor of either of these two, is this. Anyone remember what happened the last time we hired a guy our of Chicago? His name used to be the most hated coach in Dolphins history up until Saban decided he wanted that moniker. With Rivera, you know you are getting a guy who can build a defense. The problem is, we don't need to build a defense, and the defense he builds would most assuredly mean sweeping changes throughout our lockerroom.
As for Turner, I simply cannot ignore Rex Grossman and how terrible the receivers have been in Chicago. For as much credit as you want to give him for the o-line and running backs, you have to give blame for the other facets of that offense as well. I consider him a longshot for this position. And if I had to choose between the two, I would go with Rivera.
Dom Capers/Mike Mularkey
Hmmm, one is loved in Miami, the other is villified. I will let you guess which is which. However, both have certain positives to them. First and foremost, both have been head coaches before. That counts for something. Second, both are here in Miami already and both are familiar with the players, atmosphere and staff of the Dolphins. Furthermore, their schemes are already somewhat in place for their respective sides of the ball. Continuity is always a good thing (ahem like having your head coach not abandon you...just saying)
However, the drawbacks are blinding with both as well. Neither one had huge success as a head coach (Capers much moreso but nothing electric). Furthermore, in Mularkey's case, his playcalling has been suspect at best and leaves no confidence in anyone that it would get any better if he had complete control. As for Capers, he simply cannot seem to get it done with younger players. His greatest success was with a Panthers team that was loaded with veterans via free agency. Once that team got younger, it stunk. As did the Texans when he coached them. His track record is simply not the greatest.
So there you have it. Other candidates are sure to surface, but these are the main ones I have seen so far. The decision is ultimately going to be up to Wayne. Afterall, the Dolphins are his and any investment made will be on his dime. Traditionally, Wayne has tried to make a splash while looking for a coach. Whether it be replacing Shula with Johnson or sitting on a tarmac for two days to get Nick Saban, Nick has always had a flair for the dramatic. Lets just hope he has a flair for the talented winner as well.
