In a not-so surprising move Monday, reports have surfaced that the Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Tony Sparano. This is the second firing of the day, as the Chiefs let go Todd Haley earlier this morning.
Over the weekend, reports said that the Dolphins intended on cutting ties with Sparano at the end of the season. But with their loss to the lowly Eagles on Sunday, the Dolphins' front office apparently didn't want to wait that long, firing him on Monday afternoon.
Defensive Backs coach Todd Bowles has been named the team's interim head coach for their remaining three games against Buffalo, New England, and the New York Jets.
Sparano was hired by the Dolphins in January 2008 and immediately had success after the Dolphins were 1-15 the previous season. In his first year with the Dolphins, he led the team to an 11-5 record, one of the biggest surprises in the league.
However, Sparano has been considered to be one of the most inconsistent head coaches in the NFL.
The Dolphins finished 7-9 in 2009 -- Chad Henne's first season as the team's starting quarterback. Henne started thirteen games that season and had been drafted by the Dolphins in the second round (57th overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft.
He was pegged by the Dolphins to be the team's franchise quarterback, but he has been far from that. Henne has struggled since his arrival in Miami, but Sparano never gave up on him, as it could have led to his demise. Henne's inconsistency caused the Dolphins to struggle offensively, as they weren't scoring enough points and the defense was giving up too many points.
The former Wolverine finished his sophomore campaign with a 60.8 completion percentage, throwing for 2,878 yards, twelve touchdowns and fourteen interceptions.Miami finished 7-9 yet again the following season, with the Henne Experiment still going on with Sparano at the helm.
Henne seemed to regress in 2010, throwing for 3,301 yards and fourteen touchdowns, along with nineteen interceptions.
Sparano still thought that he their next franchise quarterback and stuck with him through training camp and listed him as the team's starting quarterback for the 2011 season. Henne started off the season slow and the Dolphins started off 0-3.
During the Dolphins' loss to the Chargers in Week 4, Henne left the game with a shoulder injury and was eventually placed on injured reserve after having shoulder surgery. The Dolphins were then forced to start Matt Moore, who played with the Panthers the previous season.
Moore led the Dolphins to three more defeats, as the 'Fins started off the 2011 campaign with an 0-7 record. After their seventh loss, it was predicted that Sparano would be let go sometime in the near future, as his job was definitely in jeopardy. His job remained safe over the following few weeks, as his team somehow rallied off three straight wins against Kansas City, Washington and Buffalo.
Although the three wins were questionable, Sparano still remained safe. Miami would then go on to lose a close game against Dallas on Thanksgiving Day and the rumors were back on. The Dolphins blew out Oakland last weekend and at one point in the game, were up 34-0. However, it wasn't good enough for the Dolphins' brass, as rumors surfaced yet again that there was no way Sparano would be back for the 2012 season -- it just depended on when he would be let go.
After their 26-10 loss to Andy Reid's Eagles, he was fired after leading the Dolphins to a 4-9 record in 2011.
Miami could potentially become a hot spot this offseason for head coaches, especially if the Dolphins get a high selection in the draft and select a quarterback such as Baylor's Robert Griffin III, USC's Matt Barkley, or Oklahoma's Landry Jones. Henne's career in South Beach seems to be done and it is time for the Dolphins to move on after the former Michigan star led them to a 13-18 record over his time with the 'Fins.
Rumors have linked former coaches such as Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher to Miami, but nothing has happened thus far and it really doesn't look like it. There are also other coaches that have been rumored to be on the hot seat throughout the season such as Philly's Andy Reid, Indianapolis' Jim Caldwell, Tampa Bay's Raheem Morris, Dallas' Jason Garrett and New York's Tom Coughlin. Dallas' defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has also been thought to be a head coach next season if he decides to leave Texas. Jack Del Rio and Todd Haley are also available after being fired this season.
The Dolphins are likely to pursue a big name after the season is over and we'll see what happens in the near future.
