Posted on 11/09/2004 8:28:23 AM PST by PoliticalInsider
MIAMI -- Coach Dave Wannstedt's latest loss with the Miami Dolphins was his last.
Midway through a dismal season that has left Miami with the NFL's worst record, Wannstedt resigned Tuesday. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates was named interim coach at a news conference.
Wannstedt was asked not to step down by team owner Wayne Huizenga on Monday, but Wannstedt did so "in the best interest of the team," it was announced in a news conference Tuesday.
Miami's season began with the retirement of star running back Ricky Williams and has left the team at 1-8. The timing of Wannstedt's resignation wasn't surprising with the Dolphins beginning their bye week.
Bates' first game as interim head coach will be Nov. 21 at Seattle. He was head coach of the USFL's San Antonio Gunslingers in 1985 and became the Dolphins' defensive coordinator when Wannstedt became head coach in 2000.
Miami blew two leads and lost 24-23 Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals, who ended a 17-game road losing streak. The Dolphins endured their most lopsided defeat of the season last Monday, 41-14 against the archrival New York Jets.
Dolphins players were aware of Wannstedt's tenuous future and the rising tide of discontent among fans.
"I feel sorry for the guy because he's a first-class guy," cornerback Patrick Surtain said after Sunday's defeat.
It's not like guys aren't going out there giving 110 percent and laying it on the line for him. We're doing it all -- getting holding penalties, offsides, we're doing crazy stuff. How can he control that when he's on the sidelines?"
Wannstedt barely avoided being fired after last season, when Miami failed to reach the playoffs for the second year in a row. Huizenga decided to keep Wannstedt but stripped him of authority over personnel decisions.
Little has gone right for Miami since. Wannstedt was twice forced to change offensive coordinators during the offseason, and Williams abruptly retired just before training camp. Receiver David Boston, the top offseason acquisition, suffered a season-ending knee injury before the first preseason game.
That was the start of an injury wave as the Dolphins endured the worst start in their 39-year history. They're one defeat from their first losing season since 1988.
Wannstedt, who succeeded Jimmy Johnson in 2000, has a record of 43-33 in Miami. His career NFL record, including six seasons with the Chicago Bears, is 84-90.
Wannstedt was fired in 1997 by the Bears. His final two teams there went 4-12.
The Dolphins won only one playoff game under Wannstedt, and that was four years ago. Even with seven Pro Bowl players in 2002, including NFL rushing champion Williams and sacks leader Jason Taylor, the Dolphins missed the playoffs.
One of Wannstedt's first moves when he became coach was to nudge a 38-year-old Dan Marino into retirement. As a replacement Wannstedt acquired Jay Fiedler, who has never been popular with the Dolphins' fans.
Wannstedt was just the fourth coach in Dolphins history, and only Don Shula coached the team longer.
While the Dolphins have been a perennial playoff contender -- until this year, at least -- they haven't reached the AFC championship game since 1992. Their last Super Bowl berth was in 1984, and they haven't won an NFL title since 1973.
Huizenga, who became sole owner of the Dolphins in 1994, has been through three coaches in pursuit of a championship. He nudged Shula into retirement following the 1995 season, and Johnson called it quits four years later.
Then, to my amazement, MIAMI hired him.
Then, I watched him do nothing to build on the team he inherited from Shula.
1) Why did MIAMI hire him in the first place?
2) What took them so long?
HAH!!!!
It seems like there would be a tremendous business opportunity out there if someone could bottle the stuff that makes good quarterbacks.
And they're exploiting that strong O-line by establishing a ground game. Virtually any quarterback can get Roethlisberger's results if they have enough time -- and you get time by having some combination of blocking, a viable running game (allows for play-action), a quick release, and/or the ability to scramble. Roethlisberger has at least three of the four (I'm not sure about the quick release), and his only weakness seems to be not being able to check down if the primary target isn't open.
No offensive line=no running game=no passing game=1-8 record
In 9 games (strike shortened) he averaged 11/20, 1 INT, .5 TD's, and 120 yards. A solid running game and a crushing defense almost won them a Super Bowl. The defense averaged about 2 INT's and 3 sacks per game (no idea on the fumble count, but the Killer B's could really hit).
David Woodley was the Kyle Boller of his day.
Heck the 72 Dolphins lost Bob Griese for most of the season, and relied on Earl Morrall to get to 17-0. Even when Griese was healthy, if he threw more than 10 passes in a game that was a lot.
I second that emotion. From all of us in Chicago who were waiting / hoping / knowing that he would eventually turn the Dolphins into a bunch of losers like he did to us in Chicago, a collective SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YYYYYYYAAAAAAAAA !!!!!
Wannstedt was Jimmy Johnson's defensive coordinator in Dallas when they won a couple of superbowls. Both Wannstedt and Norv Turner (off coord) got head coaching jobs on the basis of their pedigree with Jimmy. Jimmy was head coach of the Dolphins, succeeding Shula. When Wannstedt was finally sacked by the Bears, out of loyalty, Johnson appointed him to the position of "assistant head coach" with the plan that Wannstedt would succeed him when Johnson retired. Wayne Huizinga, being a hands-off, delegating kind of owner, let Johnson do whatever he wanted, with the end result as we now have it.
As a native of Chicago, a life-long Bears fan, and frequent viewer of my videotape of SuperBowl XX, including the SuperBowl Shuffle video, I could see this coming right from the very start. This whole unfortunate episode is a manifestation of nepotism in the coaching ranks. Right now The Oakland Raiders are likewise getting what they asked for with retread Norv Turner.
Thanks for the pedigree! {*LOL*}
It's amazing how that phenomenal Dallas Cowboy coaching staff, which directed four straight championship appearances and three Super Bowl victories, was so ineffective wherever they went: Jimmy J. failed in Miami; Turner in Washington, Wannstedt in Chicago, now Miami; Campo in Dallas . . . . and isn't Turner back in Oakland now? Strange.
And that QB needs to stay on his feet and have a clean jersey.
Maybe they can hire Steve Spurrier so they can actually go winless next season.
Have to admit Spurrier going winless would carry it's own level of entertainment value.....
So who's going to get the Gator job?
Miami has little choice. If I lost to Dennis Green, I'd consider hanging it up too. :)
At least they don't have Dennis Erickson, worst coach in the NFL bar none.
Dan Reeves..please pickup the white courtesy phone...Dan Reeves...
Actually, Wannstedt was quoted as saying, "First Ricky Williams, now with Bush getting re-elected, I'm going to the CFL...."
Not Strange at all. Two Words. Herschel Walker
Two More 19 players.
Two More Emmitt smith
Two More Darren Woodson
Two More Russell Maryland
Etc...Etc....
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