New Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin is looking to build an "aggressive and attacking" football team. He has said he is not tied to a "west coast offense" or the 3-4 defense vs. the 4-3 defense. Philbin wants to build a team that wins - not one defined by a system.
In order to do that, Philbin will next be looking to build his coaching staff. But, the question becomes, who would Philbin consider to round out his staff?
The early speculation is Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland would like to keep former interim head coach Todd Bowles on the staff, making him the team's defensive coordinator. In fact, a report by the Miami Herald's Armando Saguero gives even more credence to that concept. Yesterday, Salguero reported that Denver Broncos' offensive coordinator had been the favorite for the Dolphins job, until he told Ross and Ireland that he would not look at Bowles as his defensive coordinator.
McCoy ran straight to the media, as soon as he learned that he was not going to get the job, to explain that it all came down to his desire to interview personnel other than Bowles for the job. But, now, reports are coming out that Philbin is looking elsewhere for a defensive coordinator, making McCoy's complaints seem petty as he leaves Miami and heads back to Denver, and hurts Salguero as well.
Philbin, according to NFL.com's Jaon La Canfora, is targeting the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle as a possible defensive coordinator. While Bowles has not been ruled out, Philbin is thought to be leaning toward Coyle as the leading candidate.
The Dolphins interviewed the Bengals' defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, for the head coaching position prior to hiring Philbin. Zimmer is under consideration for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach vacancy.
Coyle is thought to have been on the Eagles' radar last year, but the Bengals refused to grant the team permission to interview the defensive backs coach.
As for the offensive coordinator position, two names seem to be popping up as candidates. Philbin, the former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator, is thought to be looking at his ties from his days on the sidelines of Lambeau Field to lead his offense. Current Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett is a possibility for the position; however, former Packers head coach Mike Sherman is thought to be the leading candidate.
Sherman served as the head coach of the Packers from 2000-2005, hiring Philbin as an assistant offensive line coach in 2003. The two have remained close, as Sherman served with the Houston Texans as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007, then the head coach with the Texas A&M Aggies from 2008-2011.
With the Aggies releasing Sherman this past December, speculation is Philbin could bring Sherman back into the NFL. The interesting part of that hire could be the quarterback position. Popular opinion right now is that the Dolphins will pursue soon to be free agent quarterback Matt Flynn this offseason, reuniting Flynn with Philbin after four years together in Green Bay. However, the hire of Sherman could up the speculation that the Dolphins will draft Ryan Tannehill in April's draft.
Tannehill was Sherman's quarterback at Texas A&M.