Coach? A GM? This is a never-ending problem inside dysfunctional dolphins – Orange County Register

Forgot to find a coach. Find out the real problem of the Miami Dolphins in the missing years.

When Steve Ross acquired the team in 2009, the team’s new president Mike Dee, a marketing man, told footballing people who had previously reported to vice president of football Bill Parcells to report to him. that. That causes “communication and collaboration” problems when quoting a recent phrase. Parcells left the team.

When Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland secretly interviewed Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, it ended communication and cooperation between Ireland and coach Tony Sparano. Even their wives quit talking. Sparano was later fired.

Ireland soon had trouble communicating and coordinating with new coach Joe Philbin. So did Philbin and new football supervisor Dawn Aponte along with general manager Dennis Hickey. So did Philbin with his entire team leading up to Bullygate.

People still communicate and collaborate poorly in 2016, Chris Grier said when he was promoted to general manager to start a new era, “The talk about dysfunction in the organization is over.”

It’s not over yet. They didn’t solve the real problem. It continued through the eras of coach Adam Gase and vice president of football Mike Tannenbaum as a continuing scramble for land over who had power on the team. Each was fired after three years.

Then, in 2019, Grier hired Brian Flores as a coach. However, he must have not communicated and collaborated with him properly. Grier has accepted Ross and team president Tom Garfinkel’s plan to increase a season (or two) – even if they don’t call it that – by trading good players for draft picks.

Flores hasn’t implemented that plan since Day One. He trains to win. No one stopped him inside the organization. So the Dolphins sacrificed a season (now three), but Flores won two pointless games at the end of 2019 and lost the Holy Grail of the #1 draft pick.

Last week, Flores was fired for “communication and collaboration” problems, as Ross said. As if it were a new problem in the operation of this team.

Here’s the problem Dolphins have always had: What’s the problem? Seriously, they don’t see it. They keep throwing a fresh coat of paint on a poor quality house and say it’s beautiful.

Everyone’s eyes are on who the Dolphins should hire as a coach. But the problem of the Dolphins now is not anyone.

It shows.

How will they structure this organization? How do they decide who is in charge? Is it Dee or Parcells? Aponte and Philbin or the general manager? Gas or Tannenbaum? Grier or Flores?

Grier or the new coach?

It was never clear who was in charge of the team during Ross’ 13 years of defeat. That’s Step A here. Have a sharp football mind and strong personality and give them the responsibility of recruiting to put an end to these ongoing and collaborative problems.

That will put an end to the internal dysfunctions. That’s the first step in the right direction. It gives everything else a chance to work. Of course, it will not guarantee success.

Former Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga hired a lot in this scheme but did not work as expected. Jimmy Johnson. Nick Saban. Bill Parcells. Only Johnson left the group that progressed better than he found.

But you have seen why each of them is hired. You still do, right? Ross hired someone for 13 years and said, “Okay, will this work?” You have crossed the fingers in many cases. But crossing fingers isn’t anyone’s idea of ​​a good plan, is it?

You know what’s happening right now: The same team of Ross, Grier, Garfinkel and consultant Dan Marino are interviewing coaching candidates. They will sort through the various plans and suggested staff and decide who is the best fit here.

The record would be a good-natured offensive coach as Flores is a disciplined defensive coach. Ross likes emerging coaches, reflecting his corporate recruiting for the first time. Perhaps after being burned by trainers for the first time in 13 years, this time he turned to a veteran.

But the trainer doesn’t solve the Dolphin’s problem. Who is in charge of the team? That is the problem. It’s not Grier. He’s a good guy. But Flores is the Alpha character who decides how things work. Even the trade talks for Houston defender Deshaun Watson are in trouble?

Grier spoke after the deadline for the transaction to pursue Watson. Ross is allowed to talk to Watson. All of this shows the franchise’s focus on making a player with 22 allegations of sexual misconduct the face of the franchise.

The Sun-Sentinel confirmed national reports Saturday that the Dolphins have returned to normal operations on Tagovailoa. What, because Flores left? Because Ross and Grier changed their mind? The ongoing quarterback situation shows the lack of leadership of the organizers.

Like Gase, Flores gained more power from the main office as his three years passed. Ross and Grier also allowed them. And you wonder how things get so dysfunctional?

Ross wants to win. He doesn’t know how. In the first place, he didn’t allow a marketing guy like Dee to overwhelm a football guy like Parcells.

“Communication and cooperation” were not some of the new issues that led to Flores being fired. It’s an organizational problem. Who is really in charge? If Ross doesn’t fix that, he’ll be right back here in a few years.