The Miami Dolphins coaching derby is off and running, but the NFL said Tuesday league rules stipulate that the team must wait until the end of the current season to hire a new head coach.
League spokesman Greg Aiello told the Miami Herald Tuesday, "Once the season is concluded, the head coaching position must be considered open and the club must fill the position in accordance with the interviewing guidelines."
Though Miami will have to wait to announce Tony Sparano's successor, that should not stop the team from contacting candidates for the job.
Former NFL coaches Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Jeff Fisher and Brian Billick have all been rumored to be at or near the top of owner Stephen Ross' coaching wish list. Gruden and Cowher are not realistic candidates at this point, however. Gruden recently signed a 5-year extension with ESPN to continue providing commentary on Monday Night Football, while Cowher said in October he also plans to stay on TV next year, working for CBS.
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Billick, former coach of the Baltimore Ravens, has seen his stock rise while Cowher and Gruden deflect attention. His 2000 Ravens squad won a Super Bowl, and Billick is reputed to be an offensive mastermind (though the Ravens offense finished in the top ten in points scored just once during his 9-year tenure). Before coaching the Ravens, Billick was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
Fisher coached the Tennessee Titans for 17 years, and came within a yard of winning a Super Bowl in the 1999 season. He is well respected in the NFL, but does not have a reputation for X's and O's wizardry on either side of the ball, which could be a bad sign.
Ross may opt to hire a coach from the college ranks. "I'd like to find a young Don Shula if that's possible," he said during Monday's press conference announcing the firing of Sparano. Though history is littered with college coaches who failed to replicate their success in the NFL, that might not be enough to convince Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland not to take a chance on one of the hot candidates at the college level.
LSU coach Les Miles is particularly intriguing, since he is a Michigan alum like Ross (who loves all things maize-and-blue). His team will play for Miles' second national championship in January. But at 58, Miles is not exactly "young Don Shula" material.
While there are a number of NFL assistant coaches and coordinators who will circulate through the rumor mill while coaching vacancies are being filled, don't expect the Dolphins to take a chance on any of them. Ross and Ireland want a coach with head coaching experience, preferably in the NFL. That eliminates Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski and Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.
Under the NFL's Rooney Rule, the Dolphins will have to interview at least one minority candidate for the job. Interim coach Todd Bowles is expected to be that candidate. His interview must take place at the end of the season, as per NFL rules.
