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After what can be classified as an embarrassing 1-3 start to the 2015 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins have decided to send Joe Philbin packing, the team announced Monday. The move comes after the team’s 27-14 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday in London.
On Sunday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Philbin’s future as head coach was very much in doubt:
Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero had a conflicting report, as he tweeted late Sunday that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle looked more likely to get the axe:
The move to fire Philbin is not very surprising to many as the Dolphins, especially after the 42-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in their home opener. What is surprising is that it comes just 4 weeks into the season, showing that maybe the Dolphins have decided to throw in the towel this season.
After taking over in 2012, Philbin has compiled a record of 24-27 in his 4 seasons. The record speaks volumes, but an even more damning statistic related to his impact with the Dolphins is the fact that the team has only finished 2nd in the AFC East once despite having arguably the 2nd most talent at some points.
In 2013, the Miami Dolphins were the center of attention following bullying issues in the locker room. Philbin seemed to be oblivious to the issues surrounding the Jonathan Martin incident, extending to assistant coaches who were reportedly involved. This scandal led to many fans calling for his firing.
Just last season, the Dolphins were again the center of attention after wide receiver Mike Wallace refused to play a majority of their week 17 match-up against the New York Jets. Though the official cause of the issue is unknown, it was a further black mark against Philbin relating to his player management.
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This season, the Dolphins have seemed to lost interest in playing for the team, including the situation where players looked ready to throw in the towel if they lost their week 4 match-up to the Jets.
Factor together Philbin’s inability to control his locker room and players along with a mixture of poor clock management and inability to close games where the Dolphins were leading, and you have a recipe for disaster. In many people’s eyes, the firing of Joe Philbin was a must. Whether the Dolphins can pull a miracle and make the playoffs is a huge “if,” but this could be the first step towards doing so.
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Dolphins owner Steve Ross released the following statement this morning:
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. 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 going forward.
Tight ends coach Dave Campbell is expected to be named the interim head coach.