Miami Dolphins’ problems go deeper than coach Sparano

MIAMI - Reuters

Replacing head coach Sparano with his assistant Todd Bowles looks unlikely to end the Miami Dolphins’ woes.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross fired head coach Tony Sparano on Dec. 12 but his goal of restoring the franchise to their glory days will require much more than a big name replacement.

Poor draft decisions and questionable trades offers a bigger clue to what needs fixing at the Dolphins than merely the disappointing results achieved by Sparano and his staff.

The departure of the passionate Sparano, after four years in charge of the team marks the end, the failure, of the project put in place by former football supremo Bill Parcells.

When Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl winner as a head coach, was appointed executive vice-president of football operations he was charged with turning around a team which had just endured a 1-15 season under Cam Cameron.

Cameron was fired, Sparano hired and Parcells also brought in Jeff Ireland, who like Sparano was part of his team at the Dallas Cowboys.

Parcells also ferried in a number of former Cowboys assistants and specialist coaches onto the Dolphins staff.

In 2008, the first year of the new regime, Miami won the AFC East division to reach the playoffs. That was supposed to be the start of a new era for Miami, with Chad Pennington at quarterback and Chad Henne as understudy being groomed to take over. It did not work. Pennington got hurt, Henne got thrown in and Miami ended the year 7-9 and out of the playoffs.