COACH SEARCH HEATS UP:
Interviews are already in the works.
DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins appear to be casting a wide net in the search for the franchise’s ninth head coach, and apparently they aren’t wasting any time.
According to team and league sources, the Dolphins have lined up several interviews for this week, and will likely sit down with nearly a dozen candidates interested in becoming the Dolphins’ next head coach.
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith became the first candidate to formally interview. He met with Miami’s leadership Monday evening.
Veteran head coach Mike Shanahan, who last coached the Washington Redskins, will be the second coach interviewed by the Dolphins search committee, which is led by Mike Tannenbaum, the team’s executive vice president of football operations.
Also expected to interview this week with the Dolphins are Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Buffalo Bills assistant head coach Anthony Lynn, and former Bills head coach Doug Marrone.
Dan Campbell, who produced a 5-7 record as Miami’s interim head coach in 2015, will also get an interview, but he is viewed as a long shot h because of the team’s struggles during his tenure.
Tannenbaum said experience isn’t a mandate, but admitted that each coaches’ potential hire — especially offensive and defensive coordinators — will heavily influence Miami’s decision making process.
“We’re going to come out of this — and I have in the past — better for it. We’re going to learn a ton,” Tannenbaum said when discussing the assessments he gets from coaches about the Dolphins’ roster.
“We’re going to hear things we don’t want to hear. But that’s really, frankly, the only way we’re going to get better. That includes their assessment of our quarterback. And, you know, how do we win our division? What do you see as our perceived strengths? What are our weaknesses?”
Veteran coaches could provide a more honest assessment of the Dolphins’ roster and organization because of their institutional knowledge.
Smith led the Falcons to 67-50 record, and four playoff berths (1-4 in the postseason) in his seven seasons as head coach. Back-to-back losing seasons, which featured the Falcons struggling on defense, led to the former defensive coordinator’s dismissal.
Shanahan, who is 63, has a career record of 178-144 (including the playoffs) in 20 seasons as a head coach for the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), Denver Broncos (1995-2008) and Redskins (2010-14). Shanahan only put together one winning season (2012) in his four years in Washington before a 3-13 season, and his tumultuous relationship with quarterback Robert Griffin III cost him his job.
Shanahan’s greatest success came with the 1997 and ’98 Broncos as he led the franchise to victories in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Shanahan has been fond of Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill since the 2012 draft, and runs a west coast offense that could allow the four-year starter to thrive.
According to multiple reports, Gase and Austin have interviews set up for other head coach vacancies.
Austin interviewed with several NFL teams last offseason for a head coaching job after his defense, which featured Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, helped the Lions produce a 11-5 record and earn a wild-card berth in the playoffs.
Detroit’s defense struggled earlier this season, giving up more than 30 points per game through the first eight games (1-7). But the defense gave up 19.3 points per game over the final eight games of the season.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Gase has interviews set up with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, and the Dolphins on Thursday.
Gase, 37, has primarily worked with quarterbacks throughout his career as an NFL assistant. During his tenure with the Broncos he coached Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning.
The Bears’ offense finished the season ranked 21st in the league in yards per game (334.6) and 23rd in points per game (20.9), but Chicago’s offense was decimated by injuries.
Marrone, who played for the Dolphins, serves as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He led the Bills to a 15-17 record in his two seasons as head coach before opting out of his contract with Buffalo because of an ownership change.
Lynn, 46, a former NFL tailback for the Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, interviewed for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy last year.