It seems like Brian Flores will be our next head coach, and we’ll go in with an open mind. But the more I read about this whole hiring process, the more I’m wondering…
I’ve cut Stephen Ross a lot of slack the last few weeks. Instead of pointing out my usual list of items that Ross does to hurt the Dolphins, I took it easy on him and enjoyed the brilliant afterglow of Ross’s best decision to date: he fired Arrogant Adam. Ross said the right things and made the right decision. It was a pleasure to be a Dolphin fan. The coaching search was just beginning, and there were a slew of qualified, exciting candidates. Things were looking up.
Now skip ahead two weeks, and we’re in mid-January. The excitement of hiring a new coach has subsided into a mild expectation. The excitement of possibly getting Rex Ryan has faded. A Super Bowl winner like Mike McCarthy coming to Miami turned into a pipe dream. Neither of those men–inexplicably–was ever considered.
Bruce Arians, a well-respected offensive genius wanted to come work in Florida, but we didn’t bother to call him. He went to Tampa instead. There were others as well.
So that leads me back to my opening thought: It seems like Brian Flores will be our next head coach, and we’ll go in with an open mind. But the more I read about this whole hiring process, the more I’m wondering WHY?
To start with, Flores was the first guy we interviewed among of slew of other unimpressive interviewees. Kris Richard had potential, but none of the other guys were considered serious. There were ZERO hot, exciting names. It seems like we barely even tried! Instead, it seems Chris Grier had singled out Flores before the search even began. Why? Because they were old friends.
Welcome to the Miami Dolphins, where nepotism and friendship play a factor in so many hires. Ross let Adam Gase hire his friends, and look how that turned out. Ross let Joe Philbin hire his friends, and look how that turned out.
Okay, so maybe I’m overplaying how much the friendship had to do with it. But it certainly didn’t hurt Flores, did it?
Look, I’m sure Flores is a fine linebacker coach for the Patriots, but is he the absolute best of the best? Is he the best man in the world to coach our team? Surely Mr. Ross wants that, right?
Surely he can interview a few more candidates who have real experience, instead of rushing in to hire a linebackers coach who was barely on anyone else’s radar. Certainly no other team wanted Flores, and that’s a fact.
The Bengals considered that tool Zac Taylor (Mike Sherman’s inexperienced son-in-law who Ross allowed Philbin to allow Sherman to hire) a better choice than Flores. I’m not saying all the teams who passed on Flores are wrong.
But I’d certainly love to know why they passed.
Now onto the race card. Sorry, but it’s a point that many of my readers made and now I’m seeing it all over the media. It’s a fair and valid point to address. With Flores as our coach, the Dolphins would have the only black HC and GM combo in NFL history.
We’d be the most p.c. team ever. That, my friends, appeals to Mr. Ross more than winning, and I’m convinced of that.
Look at Bullygate. Ross went overboard when a couple of teammates teased each other. He allowed Philbin to immediately get rid of an All Pro guard because he believed the word of a man with a history of mental problems. “Cut him first, ask questions later. Otherwise, we won’t be seen as the nice guys.” Ross established anti-bullying campaigns and distracted the team with his p.c. agenda. Ross lives and breathes for this kind of thing.
Most of his speeches involve making the stadium nice for families, bringing soccer tournaments and concerts to Hard Rock and mingling with his celebrity co-owners like J-Lo and Gloria Estefan. He spreads the goodwill of the NFL by forcing his Dolphins to give up a home game and play in Europe instead. NONE of that helps the Miami Dolphins.
None of it. That’s why I was so excited to hear Ross sing a new tune when he fired Gase. He talked football, not soccer. He talked winning, not entertaining. He talked about Chris Grier, not Fergie. The old Ross appeared to be on his way out.
But now, he could be back. We’ll know soon. When Ross introduces Flores, listen. Listen and hear if he’s praising Flores’ ability and experience only, or if he drops in a few comments about diversity in the City of Miami and stuff like that. Is he proud to have such a winning coach, or is he proud to be a trailblazer by making the Dolphins the NFL’s only team with two black men at the top spots?
Ross will be praised for his diverse choice, and that’s a fact. But he needs to brush that aside immediately, and say Flores got the job for football reasons and football reasons only. he needs to say it, and he needs to make us believe it. If he qualifies it in any way (e.g., “It’s 2019, and it’s time the NFL had a minority GM and HC”), we’re in big trouble.
Sadly, I think Ross will relish the p.c. praise that will be soon heaped upon him. And I do not doubt that such potential praise entered his mind during this hiring process.
Meanwhile, Rex Ryan is out there scratching his head…
We’ve already had the failed 7 year experiment of WR to QB. Now we will have Assistant Regional Scout to HC. Bellychump would not even give him the title as DC.
I’m sure most have read this article today,but if not: https://phinphanatic.com/2019/01/11/miami-dolphins-expected-hiring-brian-flores-not-smart-move/
No former Pats Coords. have fared well after moving on,for starters. The list is long why not to take him. Apparently the best candidate and my choice,Richard,would prefer to stay in Dallas and not get involved with out decades-long mess with no end in sight. Chances are that I will never see a Dolphins playoff team in my lifetime.
yeah, the Phin Phanatic duplicates my thoughts: No interest in Flores from anyone except for his buddy Chris Grier. Very worrisome. Looks like the racial factor is more and more likely. This is what Ross wants. Maybe it’s Ross’s way of apologizing to Kenny Stills for saying any Dolphin who acts up during the National Anthem would be suspended…only Ross rescinded his command a day later.
During the week, some of you pointed out some great stats about Coordinators who become first-time Head Coaches in the NFL and some have done well. Flores isn’t one of those.
He is a LB coach, not a coordinator. And as Karma pointed out correctly, he was an assistant regional fact-checker in a scouting department, Awesome, his skill set is to find fast guys at D-3 schools and sign them to the practice squad.
Does it ever end with this franchise?
Rex Ryan will never be a HC in the NFL again. THAT is/was a pipe dream. Jimmy Johnson has the same chance Ryan does. Tell me,how many teams interviewed him?
Flores would bring in Jim Caldwell as his offensive coordinator who was a former super bowl winning head coach who also took the trash lions to the playoffs twice in three years. I think that’s a good move and would be a huge upgrade over any offensive playcaller Miami has had in the last 10 years. Look from my comments you know I preferred Richard but Flores did call the defensive plays for the Pats this year (why Belibitch didn’t make him the defensive coordinator is weird, he actually kept that role for himself this year) and comes from a winning organization. Which is something I think all of us complained about the lack of with the former coaching staff. I’m not thrilled with the move but I’m cautiously optimistic, he Flores brings in an established defensive mind as defensive coordinator and keep Rizzi Miami could really have a nice coaching staff in place.
If Flores takes Caldwell,we’ll have to steal the name of the World Champion New Zealand rugby team. Some googling required for those who only know football. (with humor).
OMG, Karma. Then we would have to get Mr. Cohen from the Bears to be our running back.
LOL! I’m a long-time All Blacks fan.
27, do you have inside info about caldwell?
It’s going around on social media
Caldwell as the OC I can deal with or even Gary Kubiack who isn’t taking the OC job in Denver now. I want former head coaches in the offensive and defensive coordinator positions! Incidentally, does anyone know how position coaches have faired at moving to head coach in history???
Even more to that point,how about those who want Rizzi to be HC? How many special teams coaches have made the jump to HC? ZERO! Yeah,he was a college coach but this is the big time.
Karmatourer……John Harbaugh went from special teams to head coach and look how he turned out…just saying .
Admin, are you doing a chatroom for the games today?
Damian Williams is looking good as well as the Chiefs whole team!
It would have been a 1 possession game with about 6 minutes to go if the elderly kicker had not killed the point spread with 2 bad misses.
So in other words that you guys seem too chicken to say, Ross is giving the job to Flores because he is black and Hispanic.
Uhhhh, I cannot that, Floridan. Until Ross tells us otherwise, this looks like a hire to get himself a p.c. humanitarian award, not to win ball games.
Ross doesn’t know that the Rooney Rule is just a technicality. He thinks it’s a real !
I told you guys the Chargers will fold like laundry. NE Pats will do this same thing to the young Chiefs next week. Our only hope is for someone to beat them in the SB
There defensive play caller looks like he knows what he is doing though. The defensive game plan has been perfect.
As much as we’d all hate to see it again,I’m kinda thinkin’ that if the patsies do win Brady might finally retire Elway style .Then the pats will fade back into irrelevence and Darnold will be our biggest problem.