Who's the Next Coach?

"TheOne wrote:

I think Lincoln Riley would be a Adam Gase 2.0 hire, he inherited 2 really good QBs from Bob Stoops and let's be honest it was Mayfield and Murray running that offense in Oklahoma much like it was Manning running the offense in Denver under Gase, Riley might be the most overrated hot name out there.

Riley pretty much did all the recruiting on Murray - both before he went to A&M and then to lure him out of that program.

He also needed to teach and coach both Mayfield and Murray up, which he obviously did.

He did just extend his OU contract though, so probably off the table.

"Deus ex dolphin wrote:

Rizzi with Todd Bowles at DC and Dirk Koetter as OC? That would give Rizzi a TON of head coach experience to draw upon. Not the worst scenario that could unfold for Miami I guess, but I'd like to know what Rizzi thinks needs to be done at QB among other things.

I've already been banging the drum on Dirk Koetter as OC. But if Rizzi does somehow get HC gig what you laid out is highly workable.

It ultimately depends on which direction the franchise wants to go with the culture. We've seen both sides of the coin in terms of HC characteristics: the strategists (Todd Bowles, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase) and the motivators (Tony Sparano, Dan Campbell). Each have their advantages and disadvantages, and neither one is more "right" than the other. Rizzi would certainly qualify as a motivator, but are his connections good enough throughout the league to secure prolific coordinators?

That being said, Rizzi is a guy who (from what I read) is highly respected, has collegiate HC experience, and has been very successful as a special teams coordinator. It may be his time, but either way, an interview doesn't hurt. He should receive serious consideration. It's also important to remember who is making these decisions; Chris Grier, who began with the Dolphins in 2000 as an area scout, was a holdover through numerous regimes, and has risen all the way to GM via consistent, quality work. He may view Rizzi in a similar light, who has been with the Dolphins since 2010, has been a holdover of several regimes, and has consistently done good work. We'll see!

"tirty8 wrote:

If you take a recent look at the history of the hot coordinator that has a team currently in the playoffs, you find that they often stumble or don't play as well as they usually do. It is a well known fact that coordinators put in hours and hours of preparation. Think about Bieniemy. It seems like everyone wants to interview this guy.

You know that each team is going to ask how he will fix their roster. Here is the paradox. I am willing to bet that these solid candidates will put in 20+ hrs per team. But if you really think about it, 20 hours is just a taste. I would guess that it would be really difficult to speak at length about something that you are just beginning to understand; however, you should be able to speak at lengths about a staff you are putting together and there strengths.

Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Rex Ryan is putting a staff together. Believe me, he is not the only one doing this. Right now is a giant game of musical chairs. A lot of guys have lost their jobs and are looking for employment and other guys are looking for promotions. These new candidates seem to fill void, and I imagine that these top tier candidates' phones are ringing off the hook with guys vying for a spot on their staff. Moreover, if a coach is planning on bringing in top tier talent such as Kliff Kingsbury to run the offense for instance, this would be a costly option that would need to be addressed in the interview process. A team like the Cardinals that is notorious for being cheap may balk at this; whereas, Ross seems committed to providing the resources needed for such a coach. Guys like Greg Williams are shrouded in controversy, and would likely require an owner to sign off. Again, some teams may be more willing than others. Consider Ross's history with Bullygate. I would suspect that he may be unwilling to bring in such a candidate. Ultimately, it is better for all parties to hash out a staff in the interview process in order to make sure that a coach's vision and the front office's visions can jell. It would be a heck of a damper if a coach found out after he was hired that some of the members of his staff were vetoed.

Exactly. When these candidates walk into a room, they want to be able to say, "I will bring this guy from Atlanta, that coordinator from Pittsburgh, plus the line coach from Indy. I'm choosing these people because...bla bla bla." They will be expected to present a complete game-plan how they'll revive the roster and build a powerhouse...the guys that don't come fully loaded will not make it to round two. It's a lot of work but it's also critical to show that you mean business as a leader of the team.

"KeyFin wrote:

Exactly. When these candidates walk into a room, they want to be able to say, "I will bring this guy from Atlanta, that coordinator from Pittsburgh, plus the line coach from Indy. I'm choosing these people because...bla bla bla." They will be expected to present a complete game-plan how they'll revive the roster and build a powerhouse...the guys that don't come fully loaded will not make it to round two. It's a lot of work but it's also critical to show that you mean business as a leader of the team.

Honestly I think it is somewhere between the two.

Even after new hires it takes some time to fill the staff, though you do usually see an influx of already chosen people.

I'd think they have a generally strong idea and plan, but I'm not sure how final it is. Especially beyond OC and DC.

I posted this back in early December when Coolmax and I were discussing Rizzi. I looked on the Ravens site and noticed that John Harbaugh is strictly the HC. He has a special teams/Associate HC working for him. I wonder what Rizzi would do? My hope is he would be just the HC like Harbough and not take on too much.

Surfs Up 99 wrote:

I am glad you mentioned him. I have been wondering about the same thing. The reason I like Rizzi, if I understand this correctly, is his ability to work with and get production out of the bottom of the roster guys. I am not saying he doesn't have a high level guy here or there, but the overall level of guys he has to work with is much lower than the OC and DC. Also, I think he is a good coach and teacher. Considering that injuries are part of the game, I think we need a guy who can get solid production out of our lessor talent. His units rarely fail to perform at a high level. He is also a good evaluator of talent. Who would have thought he would be able to get the production out of the kickers and punters he has brought in? My final reason for liking Rizzi is I think his guys like playing for him. When they do well, he is one of the first to congratulate them when the run off the field, and when they make a mistake he is there to meet them and hold them accountable. He's a straight shooter and IMO a guy a team would respond well too.

I didn’t read the whole thread, so I don’t know what’s been said before, but I do hope Rizzi is being seriously considered for the HC position, here are some of my reasons for this:

1) The last few years we’ve gone in every direction- Ex-Super Bowl winning coach (Jimmy Johnson), big shot college head coach (Saban), coaching legend’s protege (Sparano and Wannstedt), up-and-coming OC (Philbin and Gase), and so far, nothing has worked. What we really haven’t done yet is promote from within. I’m not considering Wannstedt a promotion from within the organization, since he came with JJ.
2) Rizzi has been with the dolphins since 2009, he’s been through 3 coaching changes and likely knows a lot of what’s wrong with the franchise and why past HCs have failed. Also like the fact that he has been in South Florida for nearly a decade and has grown roots there which makes it more likely to try his absolute best to turn this team around.
3) His ST unit is atop the league every single year since he’s been with us, he’s been very good at what he does, maybe it can translate to the whole team if he gets the chance.
4) Neither defensive nor offensive minded HCs have ever been successful in Miami post-Shula, maybe it’s time we look at someone from the ST background ala John Harbaugh.
5) Rizzi is a fiery guy with leadership qualities but who also has a knack for communicating clearly and professionally (ever seen his press conferences?). Seems like these qualities translate to the HC position.

All in all, I hope he gets a fair shot.

Fangio and Bieniemy, IMO, should be the coaches that Grier wants. Especially with Riley extending his contract. I DO think he will be a great HC one day.

However, and I've always said that I would never want a Pats assistant, I am intrigued by Flores. I'm not sure he has enough experience for HC yet, but I think he would be someone to look at for DC.

"Galant wrote:

Good read from @TerezPaylor on one of the Dolphins HC coaching candidates, Eric Bieniemy. He's scheduled to interview with Dolphins on Thursday right now. https://t.co/lXXJEmGneV

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) January 2, 2019

I was just about to post this. It is a good read and I encourage everyone to give a look. Gives a good look at who he is and how he goes about his business.

So...I have been thinking...LOL! I wonder if Rizzi would want to come back in the same role he was in with Gase and pair with Fangio, or Bieniemy, or Richards as the HC? My reasoning is that we might end up with two of the coaches we like instead of just one because if Rizzi becomes HC what are the odds that any of the other candidates will want to join him?

"Surfs Up 99 wrote:

So...I have been thinking...LOL! I wonder if Rizzi would want to come back in the same role he was in with Gase and pair with Fangio, or Bieniemy, or Richards as the HC? My reasoning is that we might end up with two of the coaches we like instead of just one because if Rizzi becomes HC what are the odds that any of the other candidates will want to join him?

True, thing is we can't force him onto another coach, it'll have to be merely a suggestion.

I’m going to be honest...all these players coming out in support of Coach Rizzi is really starting to sway my opinion. I prefer a guy that has his finger prints over the entire team, unlike Gase, who only had his finger prints on the offense. This requires good coordinators and can Coach Rizzi bring good ones to Miami would be the big question....but I am really starting to like the idea of him being the guy! Why not?

"Deus ex dolphin wrote:

I'd be interested in Jay Gruden if he gets fired in the next week or so, I feel like he got the most he could out of some talent poor teams. If Alex doesn't break his leg, they would have won 10-11 games this year.

Hell yes! I wanted Gruden before the Redskins hired him and we got Gase.

"Brasfin wrote:

True, thing is we can't force him onto another coach, it'll have to be merely a suggestion.

I mean we can, but it usually isnt a good idea. That said, if Rizzi wants to stay in Miami even without a promotion, I think most candidates would consider him because of his familiarity with Grier, the players and organization - not to mention his success.

I'm not really a fan of him as a HC though. While the player endorsements are nice, I dont lend them a ton of credence.

Everyone supporting Rizzi is saying the same thing: he's great, just find an amazing offensive coordinator to design the offense and call plays. Oh really? Is that all? Just find a great young OC in a market where there aren't any. GOT IT.

Who? Who's available to pair with Rizzi? If we hire him now we're looking at 2-3 losing seasons at least. Our offense may improve some simply with the return of some previously injured starters and FA/draft additions, but I doubt we're finding a long term solution at OC any time soon. Plus, even if we do find a good OC, that person will be poached for a HC job almost immediately because that's the trend in the league right now.

Same thing is true, to a lesser degree, for defensive coordinators we're interested in. Last thing we need is to relive the Wannstadt era with an amazing defense and a horrible offense.

"Fame wrote:

Everyone supporting Rizzi is saying the same thing: he's great, just find an amazing offensive coordinator to design the offense and call plays. Oh really? Is that all? Just find a great young OC in a market where there aren't any. GOT IT.

Who? Who's available to pair with Rizzi? If we hire him now we're looking at 2-3 losing seasons at least. Our offense may improve some simply with the return of some previously injured starters and FA/draft additions, but I doubt we're finding a long term solution at OC any time soon. Plus, even if we do find a good OC, that person will be poached for a HC job almost immediately because that's the trend in the league right now.

Same thing is true, to a lesser degree, for defensive coordinators we're interested in. Last thing we need is to relive the Wannstadt era with an amazing defense and a horrible offense.

You're right about the coordinators, that really would be the hardest thing for Rizzi to bring in, not sure he has many connections in the league. Maybe Bowles as a DC? Don't know about the OC though.

Truth is, finding a good coach is really a crapshoot when you think about it. What really determines whether a HC will be successful? We've tried every route from previous successful NFL HC to defensive and offensive coordinators to college coaches, none of them has worked out for us.

I'm going to be happy with either Rizzi or Fangio, personally.

"Nappy Roots wrote:

I’m going to be honest...all these players coming out in support of Coach Rizzi is really starting to sway my opinion. I prefer a guy that has his finger prints over the entire team, unlike Gase, who only had his finger prints on the offense. This requires good coordinators and can Coach Rizzi bring good ones to Miami would be the big question....but I am really starting to like the idea of him being the guy! Why not?