Brian Flores out as Dolphins coach; owner Steve Ross addresses move, Grier, Tua, Watson

The Miami Dolphins fired manager Brian Flores connected Monday.

Flores was 24-25 successful 3 seasons starring the Dolphins, and did not person a playoff quality aft falling a triumph abbreviated each of the past 2 seasons.

“I made a determination contiguous to portion ways with Brian Flores,” said Miami Dolphins proprietor Steve Ross successful a connection soon aft the determination was announced. “After evaluating wherever we are arsenic an enactment and what we request going guardant to improve, I determined that the cardinal dynamics of our shot enactment weren’t functioning astatine a level I privation it to beryllium and felt that this determination was successful the champion involvement of the Miami Dolphins.

“I judge we person a talented young roster successful spot and person the accidental to beryllium overmuch amended successful 2022. I privation to convey Brian for his hard enactment and privation him thing but the champion successful his future.”

The Dolphins are not moving distant from wide manager Chris Grier.

After releasing the statement, Ross addressed the media implicit web league call. He started by thanking Flores for his 3 seasons with the Dolphins.

“He’s a precise bully man, and I privation him the best,” Ross said. “I’m definite we’ll spot him again arsenic an NFL coach.”

Maybe his astir telling connection connected his thought process: “An enactment tin lone relation if it’s collaborative and it works good together.”

Ross said helium did not consciousness the Dolphins were collaborating good capable to triumph consistently nether Flores, and helium declined to remark if helium had heard thing astir players not wanting to play for Flores.

“I’ll instrumentality each responsibility,” Ross elaborated connected his thoughts astir the organization’s level of collaboration. “I americium the proprietor of the team. If it’s not working, it’s truly up to me, and this is wherefore we’re making a change.”

Ross said he did not marque the determination with different manager successful mind, including University of Michigan manager Jim Harbaugh, whom helium has been linked to successful rumors.

“We’re going to bash a thorough reappraisal and interrogation process,” said Ross, a Michigan alum who precocious had the Wolverines play astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful the Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinal connected Dec. 31. “I’m not going to beryllium the idiosyncratic that takes Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan. I anticipation helium stays there. He’s a large coach.”

Ross said backmost decisions played “no role” successful the decision. Flores and Grier drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 prime successful the 2020 draft.

“I person a batch of assurance successful Tua. The adjacent caput manager volition enactment with him — oregon whoever else,” Ross said. “I person watched him grow. I deliberation he’s a good young man.”

He added helium has “no plans” of reigniting commercialized talks for Houston Texans prima backmost Deshaun Watson, who did not play this play amid 22 civilian suits alleging intersexual misconduct with 2 that allege intersexual assault. Ross indicated those decisions volition beryllium up to the adjacent coach.

Ross reaffirmed his spot successful Grier successful keeping him arsenic wide manager and stated helium was pleased with the choices helium made with the roster.

“If you look astatine our roster, we person an fantabulous roster of young players,” Ross said. “This was each done successful the past 3 years. We had an old, aging roster earlier that was starring america obscurity but to mediocrity. If you look astatine our roster today, you spot our wage cap, players we have, I deliberation we’re good suited for the future.”

Flores’ firing came mostly arsenic a astonishment astir NFL circles connected Monday, arsenic different teams besides moved distant from their coaches, similar the Chicago Bears with Matt Nagy, Minnesota Vikings with Mike Zimmer and Denver Broncos with Vic Fangio.

While missing the postseason again, the Dolphins (9-8) had conscionable completed back-to-back winning seasons for the archetypal clip since 2003 and a expanse of the New England Patriots for the archetypal clip since 2000 with Sunday’s 33-24 victory astatine Hard Rock Stadium.

Flores’ 24-25 grounds is comparable to different caller Dolphins coaches that did not last. His predecessor, Adam Gase, was 23-25. Joe Philbin was 24-28. Tony Sparano went 29-32. Flores besides took a rebuilding roster erstwhile helium archetypal joined Miami successful 2019 — 1 that immoderate believed couldn’t adjacent triumph a crippled — and amazingly went 5-11 that archetypal year. His 10-6 2nd play besides exceeded expectations earlier a 2021 run that fell abbreviated of playoff aspirations.

Flores was hired by the Dolphins connected Feb. 4, 2019. He came to Miami aft 15 seasons with the Patriots arsenic an adjunct — spending astir of his years connected the antiaircraft broadside — and arsenic a scout.

This communicative volition beryllium updated.