12/13/11
After barely escaping the offseason with his job, Tony Sparano didn't even last the full 2011 season as Dolphins coach.
MIAMI -- Tony Sparano has been fired as coach of the
Miami Dolphins, the third dismissal of an NFL coach in the past two weeks.
Owner Stephen Ross also plans to hire Carl Peterson, former president of the
Kansas City Chiefs, to fill the role of executive vice president of football operations once held by Bill Parcells, team sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who was at the news conference with Ross, will stay on board in some capacity, the source told Mortensen. However, Peterson told Mortensen that he has no plans to join the Dolphins in an official capacity.
"Steve Ross is a very dear friend. I work with him on our project with FanVision and, yes, there are football-related matters that I am more than happy to discuss with my friend," Peterson told Mortensen, "but I do not anticipate any job as described in the (ESPN) report."
The move came Monday, one day after the Dolphins lost to the
Philadelphia Eagles to fall to 4-9. The defeat ended a recent surge by the Dolphins after they lost their first seven games. With two other teams already in the market for a new coach, Ross didn't want to wait any longer to start shopping. Sparano's dismissal came hours after the
Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley. Jacksonville fired coach Jack Del Rio on Nov. 29.
Todd Bowles, who had been Miami's assistant head coach and secondary coach, will be the interim head coach for the final three games, starting Sunday at Buffalo. Ross said Ireland will remain as general manager and take part in the coaching search. The Dolphins are assured of their third consecutive losing season, the longest such streak since the 1960s. They'll miss the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years.
"The results speak for themselves," Ross said at a hastily called news conference. "We're looking to becoming a winning organization, and I thought this was the best time to make the change and let us go in a direction that will allow us to become that."
Ross is expected to pursue a coach with star power. Among those mentioned as possible candidates are Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher and Jon Gruden.
"I'd like to find a young Don Shula if that's possible," Ross said with a smile.
Joining Ross at the news conference was Ireland, who hired Sparano in Miami and also worked with him in Dallas.
"It's a difficult day for me," Ireland said. "He's a friend of mine. He has been a colleague of mine from before we got here together."
With Ireland remaining in charge of personnel, a coach of Cowher's caliber might not be interested in coming to Miami. On the other hand, Ireland stressed the need for an experienced coach, which might rule out hiring an assistant.
"You're looking for the best candidate out there, a guy who has been in the trenches before," Ireland said. "You're looking for some of the same qualities I saw in Tony -- a tireless worker, a guy who understands offense and defense. We'll talk about those things as the weeks go by, and exactly what we're looking for, and iron out a plan that best fits what Mr. Ross is looking for."
Bowles, in his fourth season with the Dolphins, is among those who will be interviewed. He's the sixth coach since 2004 for the Dolphins, who haven't won a playoff game since 2000 and haven't reached the Super Bowl since 1984. Sagging attendance helped doom Sparano, and Ross said he wants a turnaround at the ticket office as well as in the standings.
"Certainly when you're winning, it's a lot easier to sell tickets," Ross said. "If you win, everything takes care of itself, and that's what we're really trying to bring back."
Sparano began the season aware he was on borrowed time. After Miami's late-season fade to 7-9 last year, Ross and Ireland embarked on a public courtship with Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh.
When Harbaugh instead joined the
San Francisco 49ers, Ross gave Sparano a contract extension through 2013. But Ross made clear he expected substantial improvement this season, saying the Dolphins had "the nucleus of a great winning team."
Sparano was fired even though he retained the support of his players, who staged a surprising turnaround after their 0-7 start.
"Sad and disappointing news on Coach Sparano's termination," running back
Reggie Bush tweeted. "He's a great coach and an even better man! He will be greatly missed."
In Sparano's first season as an NFL head coach, he led the Dolphins to a surprising 11-5 record, the 2008 AFC East title and their only playoff game since 2001. He departs with a record of 29-32.
Shortly before he was fired, Sparano held his regular Monday news conference. When asked if he wanted to comment on reports he would be fired after the season, he said no.
"I want to coach against the
Buffalo Bills this week. That's my sole focus," he said.
Sparano was popular with his players, but a dismal home record and declining attendance accelerated his departure. The Dolphins lost 12 of 13 home games during one stretch.
Sparano's teams tended to be dull, too. Last year Miami ranked third-worst in the NFL in scoring, and this year their offense often sputtered. His departure represents further dismantling of the regime built by Parcells after he joined the Dolphins in late 2007, as they staggered to the end of a 1-15 season. Ross took over as owner in early 2009, and Parcells turned control of football operations over to Ireland before last season.
As in 2007, the Dolphins have issues at quarterback, in the offensive line and elsewhere. But Ross said the situation is not as bleak now.
"Everybody recognizes there's a great foundation here to build upon," Ross said. "It's not starting all over again. This isn't the way the team was when Parcells came and they had to rebuild the entire roster."
NFL: Dolphins Fire Coach Tony Sparano
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