The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Joe Philbin following a bitterly disappointing start to the NFL season.
Philbin, who becomes the first head coaching casualty of the campaign, was relieved of his duties on Monday, in the aftermath of an embarrassing defeat against AFC East rivals the New York Jets at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Philbin’s men had slumped to a 1-3 record, suffering listless defeats to Jacksonville and Buffalo, before the abject 27-14 loss to the Jets proved enough to end his three-and-a-half year stint in charge.
The decision comes following a pre-season full of expectation after heavy investment in the stadium and playing personnel playing personnel from Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Tight end coach Dan Campbell is the man Ross has chosen to take the reins as interim head coach. Campbell, a former 11-year pro with the Giants, Cowboys, Lions and Saints, has been on staff in Miami since 2010 and was retained when Philbin joined in 2012.
During a press conference, Campbell, who at 39 is the youngest head coach in the NFL by 4 years, promised a change in culture and a more competitive environment, starting on the training field.
“I feel I relate to the players. I understand them. I feel like, whether a player or coach, can pull the best out of people,” he said. “There is different ways to motivate players. Some players need a kick in the rear. Some needed to be patted on the back. Some need to be told they’re not good enough; that’s when they rise to the top. That’s my strength; I understand people very much; I understand players.
“I’m not here just to finish the season out. That’s not my plan. My plan is for this team to be competitive, find ways to win games, win now. It’s still early. We have time to turn everything around. But we can’t wait. The bye can’t come at a better time.”
Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle is widely expected to follow Philbin out of the door after the highly touted and expensively assembled unit slumped to the 30th overall ranked defense in the NFL.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for Philbin when the team failed to confirm his regular Monday media availability. ESPN then revealed the team were planning for the announcement on Sunday night, before the Sun-Sentinel officially reported the news of the decision.
In a statement released by the team, Philbin, who leaves the Dolphins with a 24-28 record overall, wrote: “I want to thank Steve Ross for allowing me the privilege to serve as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. This is a tremendous organization from top to bottom that has a talented and dedicated staff.
“I want to especially thank the players, coaches and football staff who have worked so unselfishly and represented the team with dignity and class. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the incredible fan base who has supported me and my family unconditionally since day one. It is my hope that the 2015 Miami Dolphins achieve great success both on and off the field.”
The decision came after Ross, undoubtedly Philbin’s greatest supporter, had surprisingly decided to retain his head coach for the final year of his contract last December. That vote of confidence came despite Philbin’s failure to post a winning season or reach the play-offs in three previous attempts.
The owner’s decision to trust in continuity accompanied some heavy spending in Miami. The team splashed a league record sum for a defensive player in Ndamukong Suh – who has looked strangely off the pace through four games – while Ross also delivered on a costly extension for improving fourth-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
The off-season moves offered hope, both inside and outside of Miami, that the Dolphins could finally challenge the New England Patriots for the first time in the Brady-Belichick era.
Ross had specified a playoff appearance as a minimum target, but, with the easier stretch of the schedule out of the way, those hopes were already extinguished.
In July Ross said: “You can look around. In every single area, we’ve made changes. We’ve thought outside the box. We’re looking to be the best in class. You can see the players that we’ve attracted, what they expect and you put it all together, that’s what makes winning teams. We’re all looking to win.”
However, the grand opening of the refurbished Sun-Life Stadium, for which Ross had flown in friends, ended in a blowout against Buffalo, while the owner suffered similar embarrassment on the international stage against the Jets. His patience had simply run out.
