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By Alex Marvez of Foxsports.com
The Tuna won't have to swim through an entire sea of coaches to find Cam Cameron's replacement.
New Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells knows the kind of head coach he wants to fix Miami's sinking ship, which is why Cameron was fired days after completing his first season. Parcells will target someone who understands his modus operandi and can work in lockstep with new general manager Jeff Ireland.
Miami's new coach is expected to have previous ties with Parcells and most likely the Dallas Cowboys. Parcells coached the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006 and is on the same wavelength with Ireland, who was Dallas' scouting director until being hired away by Miami earlier this week.
Expect the Dolphins to take a long look at the following candidates:
1. Tony Sparano: He is considered the early frontrunner to fill Miami's head coaching vacancy. Sparano, 46, began a gradual ascent up the Cowboys' coaching ranks after being brought to Dallas by Parcells to handle tight ends (Jason Witten is one of his star pupils). Sparano became offensive line coach in 2005 and has subsequently molded one of the NFL's best units, with three starters (left tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis) heading to the Pro Bowl. He also called plays under Parcells in 2006 before being replaced in that role this season by whiz kid Jason Garrett.
The fact Miami also fired Hudson Houck -- one of the NFL's most respected offensive line coaches -- could be a harbinger to Sparano's arrival.
2. Todd Haley: Currently Arizona's offensive coordinator, Haley's roots with Parcells run deep. Haley's father Dick was the Jets' player personnel director when Parcells served as head coach and then general manager from 1997 to 2000. Parcells hired Todd as an assistant in his first year with the Jets and brought him to Dallas as wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. The Cowboys fielded the NFL's No. 5 passing offense in 2006, an especially impressive feat considering quarterback Tony Romo was a first-year starter.
Haley, 40, left Dallas when Parcells did -- largely because he couldn't co-exist with wide receiver Terrell Owens -- but had continued success in Arizona. The Cardinals finished with the NFL's No. 5 passing offense despite injuries that forced the use of three different quarterbacks.
3. Todd Bowles: An outstanding secondary coach with the Cowboys, Bowles and Parcells also have a previous working relationship. Bowles, 44, landed his first NFL coaching position with the New York Jets in 2000 when Parcells was general manager, then followed him to Dallas in 2004. Bowles is worthy of consideration on his own merits, but he also would fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement that Miami interview at least one minority candidate. The Dolphins are more likely to make a run at Bowles as their new defensive coordinator, as Parcells also fired Dom Capers on Thursday.
4. (tie) Charlie Weis/Romeo Crennel: Both are dark-horse candidates, as Weis (Notre Dame) and Crennel (Cleveland) seem locked into their current head coaching positions. But the long history both have with Parcells shouldn't be ignored. Weis and Parcells are believed on better terms now after a previous falling out, while Crennel's coaching stock has risen since the Browns finished 2007 with a surprising 10-6 record.
5. Bill Parcells: OK, Parcells won't be naming himself Cameron's replacement. But there is always the chance Parcells could backtrack on his retirement pledge from coaching like he has previously. The most likely scenario would be the 66-year-old Parcells returning down the line after Miami is once again a legitimate championship contender a la what Pat Riley did earlier this decade with the Miami Heat.
Even if Parcells never returns, whoever is hired will have that possibility hanging over their head like Stan Van Gundy did until his 2005 ouster down the road from Dolphins headquarters.
The Tuna won't have to swim through an entire sea of coaches to find Cam Cameron's replacement.
New Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells knows the kind of head coach he wants to fix Miami's sinking ship, which is why Cameron was fired days after completing his first season. Parcells will target someone who understands his modus operandi and can work in lockstep with new general manager Jeff Ireland.
Miami's new coach is expected to have previous ties with Parcells and most likely the Dallas Cowboys. Parcells coached the Cowboys from 2003 to 2006 and is on the same wavelength with Ireland, who was Dallas' scouting director until being hired away by Miami earlier this week.
Expect the Dolphins to take a long look at the following candidates:
1. Tony Sparano: He is considered the early frontrunner to fill Miami's head coaching vacancy. Sparano, 46, began a gradual ascent up the Cowboys' coaching ranks after being brought to Dallas by Parcells to handle tight ends (Jason Witten is one of his star pupils). Sparano became offensive line coach in 2005 and has subsequently molded one of the NFL's best units, with three starters (left tackle Flozell Adams, center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis) heading to the Pro Bowl. He also called plays under Parcells in 2006 before being replaced in that role this season by whiz kid Jason Garrett.
The fact Miami also fired Hudson Houck -- one of the NFL's most respected offensive line coaches -- could be a harbinger to Sparano's arrival.
2. Todd Haley: Currently Arizona's offensive coordinator, Haley's roots with Parcells run deep. Haley's father Dick was the Jets' player personnel director when Parcells served as head coach and then general manager from 1997 to 2000. Parcells hired Todd as an assistant in his first year with the Jets and brought him to Dallas as wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. The Cowboys fielded the NFL's No. 5 passing offense in 2006, an especially impressive feat considering quarterback Tony Romo was a first-year starter.
Haley, 40, left Dallas when Parcells did -- largely because he couldn't co-exist with wide receiver Terrell Owens -- but had continued success in Arizona. The Cardinals finished with the NFL's No. 5 passing offense despite injuries that forced the use of three different quarterbacks.
3. Todd Bowles: An outstanding secondary coach with the Cowboys, Bowles and Parcells also have a previous working relationship. Bowles, 44, landed his first NFL coaching position with the New York Jets in 2000 when Parcells was general manager, then followed him to Dallas in 2004. Bowles is worthy of consideration on his own merits, but he also would fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement that Miami interview at least one minority candidate. The Dolphins are more likely to make a run at Bowles as their new defensive coordinator, as Parcells also fired Dom Capers on Thursday.
4. (tie) Charlie Weis/Romeo Crennel: Both are dark-horse candidates, as Weis (Notre Dame) and Crennel (Cleveland) seem locked into their current head coaching positions. But the long history both have with Parcells shouldn't be ignored. Weis and Parcells are believed on better terms now after a previous falling out, while Crennel's coaching stock has risen since the Browns finished 2007 with a surprising 10-6 record.
5. Bill Parcells: OK, Parcells won't be naming himself Cameron's replacement. But there is always the chance Parcells could backtrack on his retirement pledge from coaching like he has previously. The most likely scenario would be the 66-year-old Parcells returning down the line after Miami is once again a legitimate championship contender a la what Pat Riley did earlier this decade with the Miami Heat.
Even if Parcells never returns, whoever is hired will have that possibility hanging over their head like Stan Van Gundy did until his 2005 ouster down the road from Dolphins headquarters.
