The Miami Dolphins are reportedly set to interview two-time Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan for their head coaching vacancy.
Black Monday in the NFL always is a bittersweet moment for head coaches. For the guys losing their jobs, it’s all bitter as they have to pack up their families and look for their next place of employment. The other side of the coin is that each vacancy opens up an opportunity for someone else to either climb the ranks, or get back in to one of the most prestigious 32 jobs in the world.
The most recent coach looking to get back on the sidelines is former Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos and most recently Washington Redskins head coach, Mike Shanahan.
Fox Sports is reporting that the Miami Dolphins, who fired head coach Joe Philbin in October, will interview Shanahan for the gig.
Mike Shanahan to interview for @MiamiDolphins coaching job - https://t.co/fF2hCzC1rT pic.twitter.com/UC8rA5lRGS
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 4, 2016
In Miami, Shanahan would succeed not just Philbin, but also interim head coach Dan Campbell, who at one point looked to have a shot at returning as the full-time guy for Miami.
Shanahan has won two Super Bowls as a head coach, both with the Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998. He has another ring as an offensive coordinator which he won with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.
If he were to get the job in Miami, there will be a lot of questions about what to do with the quarterback situation as Ryan Tannehill seemed to take as step backwards in 2015. The offensive-minded Shanahan does has some history getting the most out of his quarterbacks though.
He once made Elvis Grback look serviceable and even had Robert Griffin III leading the Redskins into the playoffs, until their relationship soured beyond repair.
Where Shanahan really makes his mark is with his run-heavy offense in which he seemed to find running backs out of nowhere to run for 1,000 yards or more. The Dolphins have Jay Ajayi under contract and can work to re-sign Lamar Miller, which would give them a potent run attack that someone like Shanahan could employ in his zone running system.
For his career, the head coach has a record 170 wins and 138 losses, while going 8-6 in the playoffs.