Dolphins Ross giving Gase 3 years

The Miami Dolphins have never made the playoffs since owner Stephen Ross became the full control owner. He is giving new head coach Adam Gase three years to change that.

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When it comes to football and especially Stephen Ross, speaking isn’t one of his strongest abilities. While his one line quips gain attention as another foot in the mouth quote, Ross is at the very core passionate about his team and wants to win.

Speaking with the Palm Beach Civis Association earlier today, Ross told the group that he thinks he has a “generational” head coach.

"“Instead of getting a retread that really hasn’t had a great track record as head coach, I was looking for somebody that really could be the next, if you will, Bill Belichick, Bill Parcells, you know, really great head coach, and I think we got one,” Ross said via Jeff Ostrowski of the Palm Beach Post."

It’s nice to see that he believes in his head coach and that he thinks he could someday become the next Bill Belichick but he would have a long way to go to come close to matching what Belichick has done in New England. While it’s a positive quote, it’s also a little out of place. Ross tends to shoot much higher than his team can accomplish.

The fact that Ross believes in his coach is great but it comes with conditions that don’t necessarily meet the “next Bill Belichick” point. Ross is giving his head coach three years to turn the franchise into a playoff contender.

"“After three years, if we haven’t made the playoffs, we’re looking for a new coach,” Ross said. “That’s just the way it is. The fans want it.”"

Three years isn’t a long time to change a franchise from a perennial afterthought into a competitive team. Especially given the future situations with the quarterback and salary cap. Ross should have just said that he will evaluate the team and how it is playing after three years and if then it is apparent that the team isn’t progressing a change might need to be made.

Ross is likely referring to his last head coach who he gave one year to many to. Joe Philbin had three solid years to get his team prepared to challenge in the AFC East but he failed. Ross gave Philbin a 4th season and expected the team to make big strides but after four games, Philbin was gone.

One thing you can say is that Ross will spend the money he thinks is necessary to move this team in the right direction but the people who have been making those decisions have yet to find the right pieces or at the very least pieces that the coaches could actually coach. Many of the players in recent history have shown far more quality play after they have left Miami leaving a concern about the quality of coaching Miami has employed.

The Dolphins are heading into familiar waters again in 2016 and now for the next three years. A new head coach that has not been a head coach on any level. Tony Sparano, Cam Cameron, Joe Philbin, and now Adam Gase represent the last four full-time head coaching hire and none of them had experience as a head coach. If the Dolphins are not legitimate challengers in three seasons then Ross needs to stop this failing trend.

For now, Ross is taking a mixed approach with positive endorsements of his coaching hire and the caveat that his stay will be tied to production. And if it doesn’t work, he needs to examine his entire management team as well.