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The Miami Dolphins annouced today that they and Assistant General Manager Brian Gaine had agreed to part ways. Gaine had been acting as the team's GM throughout their search for a replacement for Jeff Ireland and was considered one of the finalists for the position. However, the team chose to hire former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Director of Player Personnel Dennis Hickey for the position.
News | The Miami Dolphins and Assistant General Manager Brian Gaine Mutually Agree to Part Ways.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 29, 2014
The move was not unexpected. Gaine was the only one of the four finalists who was not offered the position, according to reports. With the Hickey hire, the Dolphins clearly wanted to move in a direction other than hiring Ireland's top assistant in an effort to move away from the last six seasons.
Hickey released a statement about the decision to allow Gaine to leave. “I want to thank Brian for his contributions to the Miami Dolphins,” said Hickey. “We both agreed that this decision was in everyone’s best interests going forward. This will allow Brian to move forward in his professional pursuits and the Dolphins to move forward with our 2014 plan. I want to wish Brian the very best in the future.”
Gaine is highly regarded around the league and is looked at as a potential future General Manager. However, the Dolphins did not feel he was ready for the position and now he will look for a job somewhere else in the league.
Former Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik is considered a leading candidate to join Miami's front office, and specifically as a replacement for Gaine. Hickey worked under him with the Buccaneers.
