After a disappointing defeat to the New England Patriots, the Miami Dolphins are turning their attention to Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.
With this game, there is an interesting storyline that many Dolphins fans may not be aware of: this Sunday marks Dan Campbell’s first return to Hard Rock Stadium since serving as Miami’s interim head coach in 2015.
Given what Campbell has accomplished with the Lions, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Dolphins made the right decision in letting him go, or if it was a costly mistake.
Did the Miami Dolphins make the right decision to let Dan Campbell go?
To settle the debate: yes, the Dolphins made the right decision to let the future Detroit Lions head coach walk. However, the reasons why it was the right move are more nuanced.
For this, let’s roll back to the beginning when Dan Campbell assumed the head coaching role after Joe Philbin was released.
The Dolphins began the season with a 1-3 record, which led to Joe Philbin’s dismissal. The team as a whole was underperforming. Campbell stepped in as interim head coach, won his first two games, and ultimately finished his stint with a 5-7 record.
Several media outlets and people familiar with the situation have pointed out the same thing: the current Lions head coach brought a level of motivation and passion Miami hadn't experienced in a long time.
Fast forward: the Miami Dolphins chose Adam Gase as their head coach for the following season, while Campbell moved on to become an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints. Gase was considered one of the promising offensive minds in the NFL.
With Gase, Miami returned to the playoffs with a 10-6 record in his first season. So, at the time, this change made sense.
Today, Campbell is recognized as one of the NFL’s most respected head coaches, known for his energy, passion, and leadership. With the Lions, Campbell reached the 2023 NFC Championship Game and posted a 15-2 record in 2024.
His experience with the Saints, followed by his early years rebuilding Detroit, shaped him into the head coach he became.
While letting him go was the right call at the time, it’s hard not to wonder how different things might look for Miami if the franchise had taken a chance on him.
Perhaps the Dolphins wouldn't be facing another team rebuild and would instead have an established head coach leading the way. But that's the classic butterfly effect of wondering what could have been. Now, it's up to Jeff Hafley to try to make none of it matter.
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