Dolphins: Is a new change coming?
By Sean Denison
Will new Miami Dolphins head coach Dan Campbell change the awful culture that has been created in South Florida? In his first practice as head coach, Campbell, a much more vocal and enthusiastic presence than Joe Philbin, decided to get things started with the Oklahoma drill. For those who are unfamiliar with the drill or didn’t play football in their youth, the drill is designed to have one defender fight off one blocker and at the same time attempt to tackle a ball carrier running in the defender’s direction in a small space—it’s often a drill that separates the men from the boys, if you will.
No, the Oklahoma drill will not turn this team around, or make them a playoff contender. But at least it has a chance to instill toughness within a team that is lacking any intensity thus far this season.
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What Campbell lacks in coaching experience, he makes up for in playing experience. Campbell, a 10-year veteran tight end, knows what it takes to succeed and to be part of a winning team with the right formula. Campbell can relate much more with the players than Joe Philbin ever could. Standing 6’5 and weighing 265, Campbell possesses a stature larger than half the team’s players. This fact, if anything, demands some physical respect.
Campbell’s first coaching decision was made within the first week of him receiving the job; Campbell fired the coach whose seat was hotter than Joe Philbin’s: defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. In truth, Campbell’s decision was inevitable—Coyle’s time in Miami was as sure as done.
Replacing Coyle as the new defensive coordinator is defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo. Supposedly, Anarumo has already sat down with several Dolphins defensive players and discussed what type of system they felt comfortable in—something Coyle refused to do. Although Anarumo may not have the experience that Coyle has, he apparently has better ears and is interested in what several key defensive players have to say.
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We don’t know if these changes in Miami are permanent. But we do know a culture that has been filled with lollipops and rainbows the last decade is now over. Hopefully, Campbell and his new staff will make Miami more of a physical team that at least puts fear into the opposition, as opposed to assurance.
The Dolphins season is far from over, but it will take a complete 360 to turn things around and make this year into one that sees Miami in the Playoffs, or at least end up with a winning record.