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Deattribution

11-08-2004, 11:13 PM

ESPN front page......

Breaking News
Report: Wannstedt To Resign
With the Dolphins off to the worst start in their 39-year history, Dave Wannstedt will resign Tuesday, the Miami Herald reported. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates is expected to be named interim head coach.

DeToxRox

11-08-2004, 11:19 PM

Kodos rejoices

BigJohn&TheLions

11-08-2004, 11:24 PM

It's the right move. He is a good coach, but he lost this team. Look at the roster he has. He didn't stand a chance...

Kodos

11-08-2004, 11:36 PM

I'm back in business, baby! :D :D :D

Marino has been avenged!

Go Fins!!!! The Prodigal Son has returned.

Kodos

11-08-2004, 11:42 PM

From The Miami Sun-Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-wanny09nov09,0,4856996.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front)

Wannstedt expected to resign today

By Alex Marvez and Craig Barnes
Posted November 9 2004

Dave Wannstedt will resign as Dolphins head coach today amid his team's 1-8 season, two NFL sources said.

Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga met late Monday afternoon with Wannstedt at team headquarters in Davie. Huizenga hired Wannstedt in January 2000 to replace the retiring Jimmy Johnson.

Wannstedt could not be reached for comment despite several attempts by telephone.

Defensive coordinator Jim Bates will serve as Wannstedt's interim replacement, the sources said.

Wannstedt posted winning records in each of his first four seasons with the Dolphins, but entered the 2004 offseason on the hot seat because the franchise had missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

Wannstedt's fortunes with the Dolphins began to deteriorate in July when tailback Ricky Williams, who had carried the team's offense each of the past two seasons, abruptly retired. The Dolphins were never able to recover from that blow and quickly disintegrated into an NFL laughingstock.

Six weeks into the season, the Dolphins were the league's only winless team. The Dolphins also currently have the league's worst record after Sunday's 24-23 loss to Arizona, which is a franchise that had previously lost 17 consecutive road games.

Wannstedt, 52, leaves the Dolphins with an overall record of 43-33.

Before meeting with Huizenga, Wannstedt spoke to the news media on Monday about moving forward with preparations toward a Nov. 21 game against Seattle. Wannstedt described the situation as "business as usual."

"Let's just talk about trying to win a game," Wannstedt said when pressed on his job security. "I'm focused on the team and the players. This is a tough situation, but we're doing what we can and dealing with what we can control."

"I don't know the inside, but I can understand the constant beat-down the last three years was probably too much," said wide receiver Chris Chambers, referring to the scrutiny Wannstedt faced from fans and media. "The constant criticism, you've got to be real tough for that. It's got to be 10 times worse than it is for us as players."

Several Dolphins players said after the Cardinals loss that they didn't want Wannstedt removed as coach despite the team's failings.

"I think this year Dave is getting a lot of the blame that is undeserved," cornerback Patrick Surtain said. "He puts us in position to go out and play. We're playing hard for him. We're just not making enough plays to win games. You can't blame it on Dave. He's a genuine guy. You want to pull for someone like that."

Said defensive end Jason Taylor: "Nothing would shock me. Sometimes, the head coach gets more criticism than he deserves and more credit than he deserves. It's just part of the game. ... It's not all his fault."

Bates, 48, is the only member of the Dolphins' coaching staff with professional head coaching experience, having held the position with the San Antonio Gunslingers in the now-defunct United States Football League in 1985. Bates has been the Dolphins' defensive coordinator since the 2000 season.

Bates will get to run the Dolphins for their final seven games, but it's believed the Dolphins will hire a new head coach at the end of the season.

Staff Writers Ethan J. Skolnick and Harvey Fialkov and Sun-Sentinel.com editor Keven Lerner contributed to this report.

Tomorrow, a beautiful dream comes true. :D :D :D :D :)

BigJohn&TheLions

11-08-2004, 11:45 PM

You know what's funny? All that talk about what a shitty coach Marty Schottenheimer is seems to have subsided...

General Mike

11-09-2004, 12:08 AM

there's a good chance Wannstedt takes over at the U of Pittsburgh.

Deattribution

11-09-2004, 12:10 AM

there's a good chance Wannstedt takes over at the U of Pittsburgh.

I'd be more amused to see him take over at Florida.

CHEMICAL SOLDIER

11-09-2004, 12:12 AM

Now is the time to campaign for DAVIE in MIAMI.

Kodos

11-09-2004, 12:15 AM

Just please please please don't hire Spurrier for the Fins. For the love of God, haven't I suffered enough?

Desnudo

11-09-2004, 12:26 AM

With the talent they have, who's going to commit career suicide by going there?

CHEMICAL SOLDIER

11-09-2004, 01:24 AM

Hey ! If John Robinson commited to UNLV anyone can commit to Miami.
Hats off to Coach Robinson though in putting The Runnin' Rebel program on the map.

tucker rocky

11-09-2004, 06:30 AM

Wannstedt should blame RW for this, he cost him his job.

Jim Fassell is probably high on list for coach, cause he was mention on SNF as being a possible candidate in 2005.

As for Spurrier, he just wants to play golf. :D

Noop

11-09-2004, 06:34 AM

New England's GM will be Miami's GM and he will bring Charlie Weis...

Blackadar

11-09-2004, 06:41 AM

It's the right move. He is a good coach, but he lost this team. Look at the roster he has. He didn't stand a chance...

Actually, given his record, he's probably not a good Pro coach.

He's 82-87 lifetime. Made the playoffs only 3 times in 11 years. And it could be said that the Dolphins from 2000-2003 were one of the best teams, talent-wise, in the league. Yet they seemed to have underachieved.

By all rights Wannstedt is a great guy. He just may not be a great professional coach. My guess is he'll do very well in a college program.

tucker rocky

11-09-2004, 06:44 AM

Nick Saban is being looked at also, with Pioli(sp) as GM.

Ksyrup

11-09-2004, 06:53 AM

New England's GM will be Miami's GM and he will bring Charlie Weis...
That was one of the rumors I read.

miami_fan

11-09-2004, 06:58 AM

YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Ksyrup

11-09-2004, 07:06 AM

A couple of thoughts:

1. I hope Dave was forced to resign, because Ricky quit on this team and the coach shouldn't follow that example, but set his own.

2. I have a feeling this is all a prelude to bringing Ricky back next year. It eventually got out that Ricky was pissed that the Dolphins retained Wanny. As far as I know, the league hasn't ruled on his request to be reinstated, but maybe Miami sees the writing on the wall, knows they can't get full value for him in a trade, and have decided that they'd rather have Ricky than the coach he doesn't want to play for - knowing they probably need a fresh start with someone new anyway.

Blackadar

11-09-2004, 07:23 AM

If they did force Dave to step down to bring Ricky back, I hope they don't win a game for 2-3 years. I hope karma bites them in the ass if that's the case.

Noop

11-09-2004, 07:33 AM

If they did force Dave to step down to bring Ricky back, I hope they don't win a game for 2-3 years. I hope karma bites them in the ass if that's the case.
Ricky didn't have a problem with Dave far as I know so maybe your off base with that comment.

Blackadar

11-09-2004, 07:48 AM

Ricky didn't have a problem with Dave far as I know so maybe your off base with that comment.

Ksyrup posted that speculation - I was just responding to it.

Cringer

11-09-2004, 08:05 AM

Nice to hear, he should have been fired before this though, like 1 or 2 years ago.

Now, change of logo, uniforms, nickname, and maybe even city and I could be on my way to liking the Dolphins.

FrogMan

11-09-2004, 08:07 AM

New England's GM will be Miami's GM and he will bring Charlie Weis...
I don't understand that sentence, but I have also heard that Charlie Weis could end up in Miami...

FM

Ksyrup

11-09-2004, 08:41 AM

Ricky didn't have a problem with Dave far as I know so maybe your off base with that comment.
About a week or so after the "I just wanna smoke dope and travel around Asia" comments, he indicated that he was not happy that the Dolphins had kept Wannstadt and hired Foerster as OC, suggested for the first time that maybe he did want to play football again, and also suggested that Oakland would be a good fit for him (where, coincidentally, Norv Turner, the former OC was now coaching).

Noop

11-09-2004, 09:10 AM

About a week or so after the "I just wanna smoke dope and travel around Asia" comments, he indicated that he was not happy that the Dolphins had kept Wannstadt and hired Foerster as OC, suggested for the first time that maybe he did want to play football again, and also suggested that Oakland would be a good fit for him (where, coincidentally, Norv Turner, the former OC was now coaching).
Are you sure? From what the local stations and the Herald say Ricky liked Dave but he didn't agree with the new OC because he was planning to run Ricky dry...

Frogman

The GM for New England will be hired as Miami's new GM and he will bring Charlie Weis as the head coach. Also listening to the radio this morning looks like Bates may be keep as the defensive coach. I just hope they dont bring Steve because I dislike him.

FrogMan

11-09-2004, 09:18 AM

Frogman

The GM for New England will be hired as Miami's new GM and he will bring Charlie Weis as the head coach. Also listening to the radio this morning looks like Bates may be keep as the defensive coach. I just hope they dont bring Steve because I dislike him.
You're talking about Scott Pioli?!? Damn! That would not make me happy. Losing Weis, I think I could live with, but I really like what Pioli and Belichick are doing together, especially in the draft...

Thanks for explaining what you meant, I had not heard of that one...

FM

Noop

11-09-2004, 09:21 AM

You're talking about Scott Pioli?!? Damn! That would not make me happy. Losing Weis, I think I could live with, but I really like what Pioli and Belichick are doing together, especially in the draft...

Thanks for explaining what you meant, I had not heard of that one...

FM
Well its just a rumor that seems to be catching on with alot of people in Miami.

KevinNU7

11-09-2004, 09:21 AM

I'm disappointed. This means in a few seasons that Patriots may actually have to complete against a good team from Miami again.

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 09:21 AM

How great is that for Dave. He gets out of there and gets paid not to have to worry about that crappy team.

KevinNU7

11-09-2004, 09:27 AM

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 09:29 AM

Scott Pioli going to Miami doesn't make any sense. Why would he leave a great team that he built into a great team to go to a crappy team and start all over?

This isn't a situation where he is being promoted or he has a bad relationship with the owner or the head coach. It doesn't make any sense!

Looks to me like Miami papers have wishful thinking.

Makes perfect sense. He'll get far more money there then he could ever make in NE...we're talking 2 million plus a year.

Title of GM, full control and a blank canvas on which to operate.

A Miami turnaround would be an impressive accomplishment to add to the young mans list.

Cringer

11-09-2004, 09:33 AM

Makes perfect sense. He'll get far more money there then he could ever make in NE...we're talking 2 million plus a year.

Title of GM, full control and a blank canvas on which to operate.

A Miami turnaround would be an impressive accomplishment to add to the young mans list.

One of the ESPN football guys (sorry I forget who) was just on ESPNews and said that he would not only get title of GM but also of President. But then again, instead of Weis as coach, this guy was saying Saban.

Noop

11-09-2004, 09:35 AM

FrogMan

11-09-2004, 09:38 AM

Scott Pioli going to Miami doesn't make any sense. Why would he leave a great team that he built into a great team to go to a crappy team and start all over?

This isn't a situation where he is being promoted or he has a bad relationship with the owner or the head coach. It doesn't make any sense!

Looks to me like Miami papers have wishful thinking.
I'm not in Pioli's head, but some people thrive on challenges like that, in his case building teams. As rkmsuf said, bringing that team back from the abyss and making it into a playoff team would be an great accomplishment for a man his age...

FM

JasonC23

11-09-2004, 09:59 AM

I'm not in Pioli's head, but some people thrive on challenges like that, in his case building teams. As rkmsuf said, bringing that team back from the abyss and making it into a playoff team would be an great accomplishment for a man his age...

FM
Just like many of us do in our FOF careers! :)

Oh, and whoever said Wanny is a good coach is wrong. I'm a Bears fan, and let me tell you, all we heard from the national media after the Bears canned him (a year too late) is what a great guy and coach Dave is, and what a shame it is that the Bears did that to him, and how it really wasn't his fault, blah, blah, blah. Face facts, people...Dave's Bears disintegrated into crap, and his Dolphins teams always underachieved until they, too, disintegrated into crap (well, half good, half unbelievable crap). Part of the problem is that Dave had too much say in personnel decisions in both places, yes, but, again, doesn't that make things even more his own fault?

ISiddiqui

11-09-2004, 10:30 AM

Yep... every Bears fan I've ever spoke with will never say a good thing about Wanny. Most of them want to see his suffer for the rest of his career (they are a little crazy in Chicago ;)).

Kodos

11-09-2004, 10:36 AM

Yep... every Bears fan I've ever spoke with will never say a good thing about Wanny. Most of them want to see his suffer for the rest of his career (they are a little crazy in Chicago ;)).

Don't worry. I also want to see him suffer for the rest of his career. :)

BTW, if he wasn't forced out, I'd just like to point out that he is a quitter who bailed on a team that never bailed on him.

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 10:39 AM

Don't worry. I also want to see him suffer for the rest of his career. :)

BTW, if he wasn't forced out, I'd just like to point out that he is a quitter who bailed on a team that never bailed on him.

There is no way he wasn't forced out. Wanny would never give up his money due to him.

Kodos

11-09-2004, 11:28 AM

Man. Just imagine if Roethlisberger had stayed for his Senior season in college. He'd be sitting right there for the Fins to take at number one. :)

MacroGuru

11-09-2004, 11:35 AM

Man. Just imagine if Roethlisberger had stayed for his Senior season in college. He'd be sitting right there for the Fins to take at number one. :)
Now if Leinart declares, he can go

General Mike

11-09-2004, 12:00 PM

Actually, given his record, he's probably not a good Pro coach.

He's 82-87 lifetime. Made the playoffs only 3 times in 11 years. And it could be said that the Dolphins from 2000-2003 were one of the best teams, talent-wise, in the league. Yet they seemed to have underachieved.

By all rights Wannstedt is a great guy. He just may not be a great professional coach. My guess is he'll do very well in a college program.

How many of those 11 seasons did he have even an average QB?

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 12:02 PM

How many of those 11 seasons did he have even an average QB?

Has no excuse in Miami. He had all the say on players and managed to acquire lousy ones.

How the Dolphins entrusted him with picking the groceries is unfathomable. He's a terrible evaluator of talent. See AJ Feely.

Coffee Warlord

11-09-2004, 12:22 PM

The Consortium of Bears Fans congratulate you on your purging of Wanny.

But we must inquire, what the hell took you so long?

Fritz

11-09-2004, 12:33 PM

I think you guys are giving his personnel moves in MIA a bit more of a beating than is deserved.

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 12:34 PM

I think you guys are giving his personnel moves in MIA a bit more of a beating than is deserved.

*does doubletake*

Kodos

11-09-2004, 12:54 PM

I think you guys are giving his personnel moves in MIA a bit more of a beating than is deserved.

Which moves were good? Acquiring nutcase Ricky Williams? Trading away an all-pro defensive end for an average receiver? Grabbing AJ Feeley?

The guy is inadequate. And now he is history. :D

Blackadar

11-09-2004, 12:55 PM

How many of those 11 seasons did he have even an average QB?

How many times did Bill Cowher have even an average QB over the same span? :)

Kodos

11-09-2004, 12:58 PM

The Consortium of Bears Fans congratulate you on your purging of Wanny.

But we must inquire, what the hell took you so long?

I'd just like to point out that you had him longer than we did. :)

Samdari

11-09-2004, 01:10 PM

How many times did Bill Cowher have even an average QB over the same span? :)

Well for one unbelievable year, Stewart was beyond average, he was damn near the league MVP. But, still I see your point, their QBs have been on the lower end of the NFL spectrum for most of Cowher's tenure. The difference is that the Steelers have had a great OL (the base of any offense) the entire time, good backs the whole time, and (at least recently) great WRs.

Currently, the Dolphins have worst-in-the-nfl caliber talent at just about every offensive position group (a situation aided greatly by Ricky's bailing). Their OL is possibly the worst to be fielded by any team I can remember. Their recievers (including TE) are not the worst in the league, with Chambers and Booker, but they might have the worst 3/4/5 guys.

I am not here to defend Wannstadt (I thought he was a terrible hire) but you cannot compare what he has accomplished with this group of offensive players with that of any group in history, with the exception of the early Tampa Bay Bucs.

Kodos

11-09-2004, 01:20 PM

Wasn't he involved in replacing their entire offensive line? It's his own fault that they have one of the worst lines in history.

Fritz

11-09-2004, 02:23 PM

Wasn't he involved in replacing their entire offensive line? It's his own fault that they have one of the worst lines in history.

This I can agree with.

I would point to staff management as his major issue. Much more so than talent.

Kodos

11-09-2004, 03:05 PM

More good news - No Spurrier! (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-wanny09nov09,0,4856996.story?coll=sfla-dolphins-front) :)

Jones said one candidate to replace Wannstedt will not be Steve Spurrier, the former Florida and Washington Redskins coach.

``We have had no conversations with coach Spurrier and we don't intend to have any,'' Jones said.

Spurrier said the feeling is mutual.

"I heard that they weren't going to pursue me. Well, that's smart because I wasn't going to pursue them either," Spurrier said. "I guess you could say we aren't pursuing each other."

rkmsuf

11-09-2004, 03:06 PM

So that means that Spurrier will in fact be coach.

Desnudo

11-09-2004, 03:08 PM

Man I hope they hire Spurrier.

Coffee Warlord

11-09-2004, 03:11 PM

I'd just like to point out that you had him longer than we did. :)

I'd like to counter that by pointing out you actually took him AFTER we threw him on the street. :)

DeToxRox

11-09-2004, 03:20 PM

Am I the only one who thinks Miami going after Brees is a bad idea?

I think Brees is good, but until Miami fixes up the rest of that offense, I don't like it one bit. Brees is gunna' get rocked next year, and until he shows me consecutive good seasons, I am not totally sold.

This could get uglier if he gets hefty money and doesn't perform to the expectations of said money.

Desnudo

11-09-2004, 03:22 PM

DeToxRox

11-09-2004, 03:24 PM

An ideal situation would be if the Dolphins hired Spurrier and Danny Wuerfel and installed the Run N' Gun.

I am going to step out on a limb and predict you sir are not a golfer.

(transfusion of big lebowski lines when they don't make sense but still sound right is a problem of mine)

Franklinnoble

11-09-2004, 05:09 PM

An ideal situation would be if the Dolphins hired Spurrier and Danny Wuerfel and installed the Run N' Gun.

Shane Matthews would be an acceptable second choice, of course.

Fritz

11-10-2004, 10:29 AM

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-skolnick10nov10,0,4269479.column?coll=sfla-dolphins-front

SKOLNICK: He's still their coach
Published November 10, 2004

DAVIE -- During his Dolphins tenure, Dave Wannstedt was a players' coach, particularly his players' coach.

He rarely called out his core guys publicly, and often called on them for suggestions, even if his core beliefs kept him from applying all that many.

That loyalty may have contributed to his ultimate undoing, but it was also the reason why some players, his players, were so raw after recognizing the reality, whether Sam Madison tearing up behind dark sunglasses during a diatribe or Jason Taylor lashing out when asked about Wannstedt "quitting."

It was the reason why you got more than the empty jockspeak about letting the coach down. You got emotion, too.

"Ricky Williams quit," Taylor said Tuesday afternoon. "Ricky quit, Dave stepped aside. There is a big difference. If anybody watched Dave Sunday, you saw how much it hurt him. That's not a man quitting. That's a beaten man, a man who has been through a lot."

"Everything that happened to Coach was B.S.," Randy McMichael said very early Tuesday morning. "I love him to death, and not too many coaches would have given me the opportunity he gave me."

Wannstedt's loyalty was also the only reason to believe Tuesday's hastily orchestrated activities were anything more than another Dolphins fraud and folly, another force-out reframed as a resignation.

It was the only reason to believe stepping aside seven games early was indeed his decision, made without coercion, simply to give the players, his players, a two-month break from the incessant, irritating inquiries about his employment status.

Players appeared to accept that explanation. Zach Thomas used the decision, and Wannstedt's unwillingness to point fingers, as proof of what "a real man" Wannstedt is: "That's why the players backed him, and that's why we still back him."

One can challenge the logic of Wannstedt's choice; the six players who stood on the podium Tuesday have rarely faced more madness. Nor is it likely Wannstedt would have done this if he still thought he could talk H. Wayne Huizenga into another season or if financial guarantees hadn't made this more palatable.

Still, it is entirely believable that Wannstedt would think of trying to make this season more palatable for players and fitting that he would go down early in an effort to stand up for them, even if some would see this as a strange stand to take.

He didn't see it as strange, any more than he saw it as strange to start Jay Fiedler, the quarterback he and his core players trusted, no matter how loudly outsiders and even some assistants clamored for the new guy.

Strange to Wannstedt was Taylor spending his entire Monday call-in show defending the coach or breaking down after Sunday's loss when asking if there was anything, anything more he could do to help him.

Strange was players asking not to be introduced individually, for fear of being soundly booed. Strange, and troubling, was telling players to shut out all distractions, while realizing his situation had become the central one.

These were his guys, and even if many viewed him more as good guy than great coach, even if some privately griped about his philosophy and mocked his ploys, they often surprised with their allegiance.

Consider late last season, when agent Drew Rosenhaus called Wannstedt to let him know some of his clients were willing and ready to defend him, however possible.

Tuesday, after Wannstedt spoke to the team in an auditorium, and then to eight of his most esteemed players in his office, a chosen few spoke on his behalf.

"Dave never lost this team," Taylor said.

You got a sense that players grasped what they were losing, even after all the losing of games, hope and face they had done under Wannstedt lately.

A players' coach who might be far more tolerant than the man they get next season. But mostly, one who viewed them as his guys.

SackAttack

11-10-2004, 11:33 AM

Sorry, J.T., that's a line of B.S.

If Ricky retiring on the eve of the season was "cowardly," as I heard so many players and pundits proclaiming, then what do you call a man who abandons 46 guys in the middle of one of the most horrific seasons I've ever seen? He's had three moderately successful seasons, but now, because he's 1-8 and he doesn't have Ricky around, he's "a beaten man"?

I don't buy that.

What Ricky did flat out sucked, but this team has bigger problems than a lack of Ricky, and many of those are problems of Wannstedt's own making. If Williams is a coward, I hold that D.W. is too.

hukarez

11-10-2004, 12:20 PM