Written by Mike Ferguson at Bloguin
The writing on the wall became an official announcement Monday as the Miami Dolphins parted ways with head coach Joe Philbin after more than three years with the team.
Philbin finishes his Dolphins’ career with an overall record of 24-28. A former offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers, Philbin kept Miami alive in the playoff race into December in each of his first three years with the team, but falling short will prevail when it comes to how he’s remembered in South Florida.
With a rookie quarterback named Ryan Tannehill, there was reason for optimism following a 7-9 campaign in 2012, but neither a playoff appearance or a winning season would be in the cards in the two years to follow.
Philbin’s first harsh criticisms came during the 2013 season. After a 3-0 start, the Dolphins dropped four straight games at the heart of the league’s first-ever locker room bullying scandal. Guard Richie Incognito was accused of being the ringleader of a group of teammates that bullied tackle Jonathan Martin.
Incognito was suspended for the remainder of the season while Martin was away from the team for personal reasons. The Dolphins however, looked to be on the verge of overcoming the adversity, winning four of five games late in the year, including a thrilling 24-20 home victory over the powerhouse New England Patriots in mid-December.
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