Joe Philbin weathered the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying scandal. He couldn’t survive an 1-3 start.
The Miami Dolphins fired Philbin and elevated tight ends coach Dan Campbell to the head coaching job with an interim tag affixed on Monday. The team enjoys a bye for Week Five, allowing Campbell time to make necessary changes but not, with less than two weeks until their next game, the luxury to overhaul the system in place.
The Dolphins lost 27-14 to a resurgent New York Jets on Sunday in London. No doubt Miami’s ownership looked across the field and saw a 3-1 team they thought they would be.
“This was a tough decision for me to make knowing how tirelessly Joe worked in his four years here to make this a winning team,” owner Stephen Ross explained. “He is a man of the highest character and integrity that I developed a close personal relationship with. I am extremely disappointed with how we have started the season, but I feel confident that we can improve quickly with the talent we have on our roster. We will soon be announcing an interim coach to lead the team going forward.”
The Dolphins appeared soft on Sunday and for much of the season. This applies particularly to Ndamukong Suh, the $114 million man who looked listless on the field and lacking fire in front of the microphone on Sunday. Reports, which Philbin denied, claimed Suh freelanced on the field in disobedience of the coaching staff.
“I want to thank Steve Ross for allowing me the privilege to serve as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins,” Philbin said in a statement released by the team. “This is a tremendous organization from top to bottom that has a talented and dedicated staff. I want to especially thank the players, coaches and football staff who have worked so unselfishly and represented the team with dignity and class. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the incredible fan base who has supported me and my family unconditionally since day one. It is my hope that the 2015 Miami Dolphins achieve great success both on and off the field.”
Philbin finishes his tenure in Miami with a 24-28 record and without a playoff appearance.
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