Dave Wannstedt, whose tenure as coach of the Miami Dolphins was marked by a winning record but an abrupt recent decline, resigned Tuesday. His departure added another layer of unrest to a season that has included the sudden preseason retirement of the star running back Ricky Williams, a rash of devastating injuries, a quarterback controversy and the worst start in franchise history.
Several players, including Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Taylor and cornerback Sam Madison, cried at a news conference when discussing the departure of the well-liked Wannstedt. Taylor grew testy when someone suggested that Wannstedt had quit; Taylor countered that he had resigned. Asked to explain the difference, Taylor responded: "Ricky Williams quit. Dave stepped aside. There's a big difference."
Wannstedt, who finished with a 43-33 record, was replaced by his defensive coordinator, Jim Bates, who will be the interim coach for the remainder of the season. The Dolphins (1-8) have a bye this week and will play Nov. 21 at Seattle.
An early list of possible candidates includes Philadelphia offensive coordinator Brad Childress, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, USC's Pete Carroll, California's Jeff Tedford and three Bill Belichick protegees: New England offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and Louisiana State coach Nick Saban. Team president Eddie Jones quashed speculation that the Dolphins might pursue Steve Spurrier, who seemed to chafe under the salary cap and free agent restrictions while coach of the Redskins.
"We have no intention of talking to Coach Spurrier," Jones said. "Now, will that change? I'm not sure. But at this point, we don't have any intention of talking to him."
Spurrier told The Sun-Sentinel of Ft. Lauderdale that he had no interest in the job.
"I heard that they weren't going to pursue me," Spurrier said. "Well, that's smart because I wasn't going to pursue them either. I guess you could say we aren't pursuing each other."
A shakeup of the Dolphins' front office is possible. Jones, who will coordinate the search for a new coach, will retire in March. The future of general manager Rick Spielman, who will do the bulk of the coaching research before handing it over to Jones, remains unclear. Spielman was promoted to the job and given the personnel power that was stripped from Wannstedt last off-season.
But some of Spielman's moves, including trading a second-round draft pick for quarterback A.J. Feeley, have been met with criticism. Jones said Spielman is the general manager "unless something happens that I don't foresee." Jones' replacement as team president could have the option of hiring his own general manager.
Jones said he and owner Wayne Huizenga tried to talk Wannstedt out of resigning during a meeting late Monday. But at a news conference, Wannstedt told reporters that he resigned because he did not want his job situation to become the focal point of the rest of the Dolphins' season.
"Someone has to accept the responsibility," Wannstedt said. "I am the head coach and that falls on me. There's nothing more I wanted to get done than turn this situation around. I felt that the negative attention that would surround me personally and professionally for the remainder of the season would only serve as a detriment. I believe this is what's best for our football team."
Wannstedt's mid-season demise is unusual in the NFL.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
FRUSTRATION: Gauff smacked herself on the head with her racket before storming down the tunnel, emerging afterward to have a heated discussion with her coach Elina Svitolina on Saturday won the Italian Open after beating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 to claim her third Rome title, while Jannik Sinner set a date with Casper Ruud in the men’s final. Ukraine’s Svitolina had not claimed a WTA 1000 title since her last victory at the Foro Italico eight years ago, but prevailed over the ever-erratic Gauff to claim her 20th tournament triumph. Saturday’s win over Gauff was her third in a row against a player in the top four of the world rankings — including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina — ahead of the French
RSS