The Miami Dolphins have fire head coach Joe Philbin, NBC 6 has learned.
The move comes a day after the team lost 27-14 to the New York Jets in London. The Dolphins have started the season with a 1-3 record.
“This was a tough decision for me to make knowing how tirelessly Joe worked in his four years here to make this a winning team. He is a man of the highest character and integrity that I developed a close personal relationship with," owner Stephen Ross said in a statement. "I am extremely disappointed with how we have started the season, but I feel confident that we can improve quickly with the talent we have on our roster. We will soon be announcing an interim coach to lead the team going forward."
The team named tight ends coach Dan Campbell the interim head coach.
"I want to thank Steve Ross for allowing me the privilege to serve as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. This is a tremendous organization from top to bottom that has a talented and dedicated staff," Philbin's statement read. "I want to especially thank the players, coaches and football staff who have worked so unselfishly and represented the team with dignity and class. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the incredible fan base who has supported me and my family unconditionally since day one. It is my hope that the 2015 Miami Dolphins achieve great success both on and off the field."
Miami began the year with hopes of a championship and thus far has looked anything like a title contender. Philbin had not posted a winning season in his first three seasons at the helm of Miami and has a 24-28 record overall. With a short leash, this change had become expected by many.
Ross invested heavily into his team this off-season with hopes of ending a playoff drought. While there are still 12 games to play, it is rare for a team to reach the playoffs after starting 1-3. Pivotal to turning this season around will be an improvement on defense. While Miami has struggled offensively as well, the defense had been highly touted heading into the year and has been a disappointment.
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The Dolphins could be seen many times this season with their hands on their hips. It appeared to be a mix of shock along with a bit of a lackadaisical approach. This apparent lack of focus often points to a problem at the top. Making a change with Philbin would suggest that Miami did indeed feel this way.
Penalties have also been a problem for the Dolphins this year as the team has gotten in their own way all too often. While having difficulty moving the ball or stopping the opposition, the Dolphins would hand out free yards with poor penalties. Whether it be delay of games or personal fouls, the Dolphins showed their lack of focus in more ways than one.
As the news came out Monday, Dolphins fans for the most part said it was time for a change.
"It's a results-based sport and he wasn't getting the job done. The team seems uninspired," fan Charlie Pereira said.
"He seemed like a cool dude, he does seem a little soft though," Kevin Delevaux said.
