Flaherty watches ‘31 other teams’

After sudden firing, longtime coach is in a Dolphin-free zone

Let’s start here: Pat Flaherty has coached football for 42 years, has two Super Bowl rings, doesn’t want to be in a he-saidhe-said story and knows a head coach can fire any assistant at any time — as Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores did Flaherty four days into training camp.

“That’s professional football,” he said.

Flaherty also returned my phone call with hesitation. “What happened is ancient history,” he said.

But as this odd Dolphins season stumbles toward its finish, as Sunday’s game against Cincinnati assembles the two worst teams in the league, a loose end always has been why Flaherty was fired as training camp was just starting. And what it signaled about differing ideas to a central theme this year of developing talent, namely rookie guard Michael Deiter.

Also, simply, what Flaherty thought of being fired.

“It absolutely shocked me,” he said.

Flaherty won’t reveal what was said in that July 29th firing with Flores other than it was a brief meeting. What is obvious, though, is Deiter unknowingly played a central role in the decision.

One day, Flaherty told the

media Deiter was, “a long way” from starting. The next day, Flaherty was fired. The following day after that, Deiter was in the starting lineup — a position he unsteadily has held until a benching two weeks ago. When he returned to the lineup last week, he split time.

Flaherty, 63, said he had a plan for Deiter, and it involved lowering the volume of him being a starter at the opening of training camp.

“I know how I coach,” he said. “I know how to treat people. I know the success I’ve had. It’s worked. I was never mean to players. I know how I love Michael Deiter. I know what kind of player he’s going to be, what it’s going to take.

“There were some people that wanted to put him in the starting role — and I’m talking about [the media]. I just wanted everyone to pump the breaks a little bit. It puts pressure on a kid. You’re going to put pressure on him as a coach. He doesn’t need more pressure from the outside.

“He’s not the first rookie I’ve ever had. There’s a plan you have for those guys. The plan is by Week 1 for them to be a starter for you. They need to adjust to the game in the NFL. It’s a different game. I think I said that in that press conference.

“As a coach, you always want to prepare them toward that [start]. Practice. Meetings. We spent a lot of time with the rookies in that offseason. So there was a plan I was following for [Deiter].”

One prime goal this year was to, “build the trenches,” as general manager Chris Grier said. But any evidence of progress will have to wait for Year 2. The offensive line, part of the worst rushing offense in the league, looks to need yet another major overhaul this offseason. It mirrors the never-ending repair work on I-95.

But let’s be fair: The narrative on Deiter isn’t written. He has struggled as a rookie. How he shows up in his second season will be a telling story.

“Michael has a chance to be a great one, don’t fool yourself,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty knew of the massive rebuild when he took the Dolphins job with Flores’ new staff in February. He knew the recent history of Dolphins offensive line coaches, too. Jim Turner (now the Cincinnati line coach) was fired in 2014 for being a figure in Bullygate. Chris Foerster was fired after a 2016 video of snorting a white, powdery substance was put on social media by an advertised Las Vegas model.

“I have built my reputation for years and, coming there, I was planning to be there for the long haul for those players,” Flaherty said.

Then he was gone. Flores said he “went with my gut,” in the decision. He promoted Dave DeGuglielmo, who was hired as an analyst after being fired as the Indianapolis line coach and worked with Flores on the New England staff.

“It’s really difficult to wrap my mind around what happened,” Flaherty said. “Brian made a decision. I have respect for Brian, respect for the Dolphins. I don’t have to agree with the decision, but he made it. You move on. You don’t look back.”

Flaherty, for the first time in 42 years, wasn’t coaching in August.

“It was a bit of an adjustment,” he said.

He helped a couple of former players who are coaching high school. He studied up on the game, reviewed his coaching ideas. He plans to get back into coaching this offseason, too.

“Obviously, I’ve had time to recharge,” he says.

He also has watched a lot of football on television to study the game. He plans to watch Sunday, too. Any game except one game — the Dolphins game.

“I don’t want them on my TV, no,” he said. “There’s 31 other teams to watch.”