To Restore the Luster in Miami, Philbin Can't Be an Ordinary Joe

by: DR

Jimmy Johnson couldn't do it. Neither could Dave Wannstedt. Same goes for Jim Bates, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, and Todd Bowles. Each of these men had their chance (albeit a short one in the cases of Bates and Bowles) to elevate the Miami Dolphins to the upper echelon of NFL franchises, a place they haven't been since the legendary Don Shula walked away after the '95 season.

Enter Joe Philbin. The 50 year old former Green Bay offensive coordinator takes over a franchise that is in need. Not in need of rebuilding. The Dolphins have a solid defense and an offense that has several playmakers that Philbin can work with. Instead, Miami is in need of a restoration. A franchise that has become somewhat of a laughing stocking around the league must be restored to the respectable, and sometimes revered, status that it used to hold.

The Miami franchise has no one to blame but themselves for ending up in their current state. No playoff wins since the 2000 postseason. Only one playoff appearance in the last 10 years. A 1-15 season in 2007. An owner that flew across the country last January in a failed attempt to land Jim Harbaugh, leaving his still-employed coach twisting in the wind. And finally, just a week ago, Jeff Fisher publicly turning down the Dolphins to take over the Rams. THE RAMS!!! This once rock-solid organization can't seem to catch a break.

Or can they? Maybe Philbin is just the guy to take the reins for the Dolphins and lead them back to the prominent position they once enjoyed. In one way, they are better off with Philbin than Fisher, because Fisher clearly wasn't sold about being the head coach in Miami. Philbin clearly is. The guy just lost his son a little over a week ago, yet he decided to make the life-altering decision to take on a head-coaching job half-way across the country. He has decided to leave the comfortable confines of the perennial Super Bowl contending Green Bay Packers to take on an enormous challenge in South Beach. This speaks of a coach that is going all in, so to speak.

No one knows if Joe Philbin will become a successful NFL head coach. Though his name has been well-publicized lately, he is still a relatively unknown commodity. But hey, so were Mike Tomlin, Mike Smith, and John Harbaugh before they took on the role of head coach. On a personal level, we have to expect that Philbin will have some rough days ahead grieving for his son. You don't just put something like that behind you in a day or two. The challenge, both personally and professionally, seems daunting. But maybe, just maybe, Joe Philbin is the guy to lead the Dolphins back into the limelight. If so, his name won't be remembered with the likes of Wannstedt, Cameron, and Sparano. Instead, it might be mentioned in the same breath as the great Don Shula. And that would the kind of rare air where no ordinary Joe ever ascends to.