the Miami Sports Dude

Okay Mr. Huizenga. You want my advice … here it is ... In THREE EASY STEPS:

You recently flew to Costa Rica to meet with USC head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll himself confirmed that the two of you met for 4 hours. And this is what he had to say about you and your search for a new head coach:

"[Wayne Huizenga] has structured a program where the head coach has the entire say, from top to bottom.”

And,

"This was the only time I've even thought about talking with anybody [from the NFL]. Here's a situation where a guy would give a head coach the opportunity to do anything he wanted to do. He's an awesome guy."

And therein lies your dilemma. First off, anyone who uses the phrase “he’s an awesome guy” should automatically be eliminated from your list of coaching prospects. No one here wants someone who talks like a 15 year old baton twirler coaching the Miami Dolphins.

Secondly, and really this is what’s MOST IMPORTANT, Carroll just showed you what your biggest problem is through his very statements. He said that you have a program where the coach has all the say. And he’s right – there is no other program like it in the NFL, at least not one that is successful. It just won't work, sir.

You said you wanted our opinions. You had your staff e-mail the season ticket holders for their input. Well here’s mine. And, really, this is not a revelation. I haven’t discovered a magic formula. This formula is something most respected sports columnists, radio personalities and knowledgeable fans here in Miami have all said should be done – because it’s the right thing to do. I just broke it down in more detail for you.

So, finally, here’s what you do -- IN THREE EASY STEPS:

1.) Hire Floyd Reese as the new General Manager of the Miami Dolphins. Reese just finished a successful tenure as the Tennessee Titans’ GM. From 1999-2000, under Reese’s watch, no other team had as many victories as the Titans. He is responsible for drafting players like Eddie George, Steve McNair and, recently, 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year, Vince Young. Of the 75 players Reese drafted from 1999-2006, 36 of them finished the season on the team's roster – that’s 48%. 3rd-best percentage in the NFL behind only the Bengals and Ravens. He decided not to renew his contract and is now a free agent. Unless you can work your powers of persuasion and convince Scott Pioli to leave New England for sunny South Beach, Floyd should be your man.

2.) Hire a current NFL assistant coach as the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins. I have some suggestions but if you hire Reese (or Pioli), I’m sure he’ll know who to target. Don’t get lured by the big name college coach, like a Pete Carroll. It's the deadly Siren Song, Mr. Huizenga. Don't do it. Look, we appreciate the sentiment but, frankly, we’re a little tired of the big name guys. Again, someone like Reese will know what to do. But the point is, stick with picking an NFL assistant -- even if they have no prior head coaching experience. There's a long history of current successful head coaches that were once NFL assistants with zero head coaching experience: Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Brian Billick, Bill Cowher, Marvin Lewis, Eric Mangini, Sean Payton, just to name a few.

3.) When in doubt, look no further than our division rival New England Patriots. Bill Belichick has a lot of power over personnel. But he trusts Pioli and allows him to make the decisions on who the team should draft, sign, cut, and trade. A good example includes Tom Brady, who was drafted in the 6th round of the 2000 Draft – Pioli’s first draft with the Patriots. Three Super Bowl titles later, the Patriots are the standard by which others should follow. This should include our Dolphins. The main thing is that Belichick and Pioli work in harmony, have the same philosophy and share the common goal: Winning above all else.

Eliminate your current thinking, Mr. Huizenga. The head coach as CEO thing does not work in the NFL. When people think of the Patriots, they think of two names: Bill Belichick head coach, Scott Pioli, head of personnel. Giving a head coach all the power and all the say has proven to be unfruitful for you as Dolphins owner. Jimmy Johnson, Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban – all of them had final say or total control and all of them failed you.

So there you have it. It’s pretty simple. Hire a General Manager and give him personnel control. Then hire a coach who will work well with that GM. Then sit back, light up a stogie and get ready to celebrate.