Round 2 of interviews this week

[raptorsfan29]

Interesting that you would say that. Because Sparano changed things up after starting 0-7, and got fired anyway. I know there were other things in play. But, I agree that adaptability is important. I also like originality. But the willingness to adapt means the ability to make adjustments.

I'm hoping McCoy changes things a lot sooner than Sparano when things don't go the teams way. You don't wait until after it's impossible to make the playoffs and then make changes.

[MikeO]

Interesting that you would say that. Because Sparano changed things up after starting 0-7, and got fired anyway.

It shouldn't take 0-7 to think maybe its time to make a change. Maybe after 0-2 Sparano should had opened his eyes to changing some things. Check that, maybe after year 2 and not the middle of year 4 he should have opened his mind to some adjustments.

[el diablo]

Point taken. He should have changed sooner. Especially after that Texans game . Team showed no heart.

[Phishfan]

^^^ Really? I'm curious if you watch the games because the consensus has been that the team played with a lot of heart and never gave up.

[Pappy13]

Interesting that you would say that. Because Sparano changed things up after starting 0-7, and got fired anyway.

And what did Sparano do? He quit coaching them. He gave the team back to the players and told them to just go out and make plays. And it worked. Which means that if we would have had a head coach that would have HELPED them win rather than hinder them, no telling what we could have done this year.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

And what did Sparano do?

He did the same thing Bill Belichick did after the second game of the 2001 season.  He switched QBs because he had to. 

[Pappy13]

He did the same thing Bill Belichick did after the second game of the 2001 season.  He switched QBs because he had to. 

Actually that happened in week 4. They didn't start playing better until week 8. I don't think there's a direct cause and effect relationship. However if you ask the players, after week 6 or 7, sometime around that time, Sparano told them in a meeting that if they wanted to go 0-16, that was on them, not on him. He would be fired, but they'd all be out of jobs too because nobody would keep them around after an 0-16 campaign. He shortened practices. He quit emphasizing ball security and said they had to be responsible for their own actions. Basically he quit coaching them. Everything that Sparano believed to be how you win, he went against it. He simply turned the team over to the players and the players responded. They started being more aggressive on offense and quit worried about making mistakes. The started making interceptions that they had been dropping for 2 solid years because they were no longer worried that if they dropped it they were gonna get reamed. I'm not making this up, this came straight out of a players mouth. Not sure who it was that said it, but he said it turned the season around.

Sparano is old school. Play conservative. Don't make mistakes and you will win a close game. Well that doesn't work that well these days. You know what does? Being aggressive. Being risky. Playing balls out and letting the chips fall where they will. It doesn't always work, but it works more often then Sparano's style of football. He's a dinosaur. His kind is becoming extinct. I'm convinced that he held the team back the last 2 years rather than helped them move forward.

Sure Moore started playing better, but only after Sparano took the reigns off. He played just as bad, actully worse than Henne did in his first 3 starts prior to Sparano letting them just play. Go look at the stats. Here I'll give them to you.

SD and first 3 starts: 68 of 116. 58.6%. 706 yards for 6.08 yards per attempt. 1 TD. 4 INT's. 16 sacks and 3 fumbles. 5 runs (including scrambles) for 30 yards, a fumble and TD.

Now after week 7. 126 of 211 59.7%. 1,576 yards for 7.47 yard per attempt. 12 TDS. 5 INT's. 19 sacks and 4 fumbles. 16 runs for 31 yards, 4 fumbles and a TD.

Except for the fumbles (which by the way is the #1 thing that Moore needs to work on) he did much better after week 7. Not even close really.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/02/2529359/miami-dolphins-players-noticing.html

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

If this is true and he learned from it.  Sparano might be a great head coach if he gets a second shot at it down the road. 

OT: I had a similar experience in college and learned a ton about effective management.  I was working in the college cafe dishroom when all but 2 of us quit on the same day.  I was given the responsiblity of being the dishroom supervisor, but not the twenty five cent raise that the dishroom supervisor was suppose get.  This royally pissed me off.  So I refused to supervise.  By this time i had already trained all the new employees. (It takes like 5 mins to master each of the 7 different jobs in this dishroom).  Anytime someone asked me what to do I told them I wasn't in charge.  I was hoping and waiting for the dishroom to implode and then I was going to tell my boss off and that I was not going to supervise unless I get the raise.  To my great disappointment, the dishroom ran like a swiss watch even when we were short handed.  Everyone just did what needed to be done, nobody waited to be told what to do, etc.  I got tons of kuddos and complements from my boss, but no fucking money.

After I eventually quit in disgust (I also had a better job lined up) I thought about it and realized everything I had thought about what a supervisor was suppose to do was wrong and in fact my non-supervision was the way to go.  I used that lesson to my benfit in later jobs when I was a supervisor and it worked great.  Had I not had that experience I would have been a mircomanager any time I had a chance.   

, after week 6 or 7, sometime around that time, Sparano told them in a meeting that if they wanted to go 0-16, that was on them, not on him. He would be fired, but they'd all be out of jobs too because nobody would keep them around after an 0-16 campaign. He shortened practices. He quit emphasizing ball security and said they had to be responsible for their own actions. Basically he quit coaching them. Everything that Sparano believed to be how you win, he went against it. He simply turned the team over to the players and the players responded. They started being more aggressive on offense and quit worried about making mistakes.

[Pappy13]

After I eventually quit in disgust (I also had a better job lined up) I thought about it and realized everything I had thought about what a supervisor was suppose to do was wrong and in fact my non-supervision was the way to go.

Supervisors (like head coaches) should only remove road blocks for their employees. Employees (and players) don't need to be told how to work (or play), they need for anything that is preventing them from being productive to be removed.

In my line of work (programmer) that means getting rid of red tape. Don't handcuff us. Let us do our jobs. For the most part we know how to program, so tell us what you need done and get out of our way. If we have a problem we'll let you know, then step in and try to help us get passed it. Sure we are going to make mistakes, don't try to prevent us from making mistakes with red tape, help us overcome mistakes by eliminating red tape.

That's what a good head coach does. He sees the road blocks and removes them before you get to them. He doesn't constantly look over your shoulder and tell you to watch out for ever little obstacle over and over. That's just annoying, aggravating and DISTRACTING. Don't distract me from what I'm trying to do, help me limit the distractions.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^^^^ I agree.

But sometimes you only learn that by seeing it action. 

[EKnight]

Why the hate on Bowles? Just because he was a Parcells guy, that means he can't coach? He also was a Mike Holmgren guy with the Packers and an Al Groh guy with the Jets. He may not be the flashy new name, but discluding every guy in the NFL who ever was associated with Parcells leaves a short list. FWIW, he's good enough to get an interview with the Raiders as well as Miami, so maybe there's more to him than some people realize. -EK

[el diablo]

I don't understand the hate either. He didn't go 0-3, getting outscored 90-3 down the stretch. Given the circumstances, he is the best option. IMHO.

[Landshark]

Preliminary reports had McCoy being the guy, but as of right now, he is back in Denver, Ross is back in South Florida, and all is quiet in Dolphins camp.  I think we can assume either no decision has been made or negotiations are ongoing but an agreement has not been reached.

[Spider-Dan]

I like Bowles for the job.

[MikeO]

Why the hate on Bowles? Just because he was a Parcells guy, that means he can't coach? He also was a Mike Holmgren guy with the Packers and an Al Groh guy with the Jets. He may not be the flashy new name, but discluding every guy in the NFL who ever was associated with Parcells leaves a short list. FWIW, he's good enough to get an interview with the Raiders as well as Miami, so maybe there's more to him than some people realize. -EK

Al Groh is a Parcells guy!  Bowles is Sparano 2.0 he isn't what Miami needs. If the new coach wants to make him defensive coordinator, FINE. But there is a reason Bowles has interviewed for about 10 jobs the past 3 years (head coaching or coordinator) and hasn't gotten one of them. Everyone can't be wrong.

Armando Salguero told a story this morning on his radio show he got from a high ranking Dolphins official in the front office. When the Fins fired Sparano and promoted Todd. They went to Todd and said this is what Tony's schedule was and what we expect from you. Pretty much there at 5am in the morning and there till midnight or later. Telling him about his interview responsibility's with the media, his meetings with the QB's, meetings with the offense...blah blah blah, and all of the other little things that a head coach is responsible for. According to Armando, Todd was in total shock and didn't realize that much went into being a head coach and didn't realize how his life was going to change for 3 weeks. IF THAT isn't a huge red flag (and probably the reason why nobody has hired this guy around the league) I don't know what is!

I want no part of Todd Bowles as a head coach. And he has only gotten interviews mainly because he fills the "rooney rule" for these teams 90% of the time. Sad, but true!