Joe Philbin Retained by Dolphins: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Despite three up-and-down seasons, the Miami Dolphins have decided to retain head coach Joe Philbin.

Owner Stephen Ross confirmed the decision to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel following the team's Week 16 win over the Minnesota Vikings:  

Ross elaborated on the decision and Philbin offered his thoughts, via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald:

"

Joe Philbin: "I'm very happy [Steve Ross] has supported me as often and consistently as he has. He really has."

— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) December 21, 2014"

Why did Philbin keep his job? Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has a simple explanation: 

Miami entered the 2014 campaign with playoff expectations after collapsing down the stretch in 2013. The Dolphins had an opportunity to make the playoffs last season but lost each of their final two games to miss out in listless fashion.        

The Fish initially put that behind them and upset the New England Patriots in Week 1 of the 2014 campaign, but they were unable to turn it into a postseason appearance. Miami was in playoff contention until the bitter end just like last season, but its run ended in all-too-familiar fashion. With the win over the Vikings, the Dolphins will enter Week 17 at 8-7.      

Despite that, the franchise decided to stick by its head coach.

Philbin seemed to be feeling the heat regarding his job status during the Dolphins' Week 3 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, as George Richards of the Miami Herald suggested:

With the pressure mounting, Philbin attempted to shake things up. He refused to commit to Ryan Tannehill as the starting quarterback after the Chiefs game, and he wouldn't do anything other than offer cryptic answers when asked about the situation, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano:

Tannehill eventually righted the ship and played fairly well for the remainder of the season, which was enough to save Philbin's job.

Philbin's tenure includes the highly publicized bullying situation between offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito from the 2013 season, which led to previous speculation regarding his potential firing. However, he somehow weathered the storm to remain head coach despite the Martin-Incognito drama as well as Miami's failure to qualify for the postseason.

Philbin got his big break with the Dolphins in 2012 after serving as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers from 2003 through 2011. He had never been a head coach before in either college or the pros, but he adapted quickly.  

The Dolphins struggled to a 6-10 record in 2011, the year before Philbin's arrival, and they weren't expected to be any better in 2012. He led them to a 7-9 mark, however, with Tannehill at the helm. The Texas A&M product made a great deal of progress under Philbin, and Dolphins fans had high hopes heading into the 2013 campaign.

Miami stormed out of the gates and looked like a potential playoff team after starting 3-0, but four consecutive losses knocked the team off track. The Dolphins rebounded and forced their way back into playoff contention, but their failure to close the deal didn't prevent them from giving him another shot in 2014.

Philbin excelled as an assistant in Green Bay, but he has been unable to parlay that success into a great run in Miami. Next season may represent his last chance to prove he can lead his troops into the postseason.

If not, the Dolphins will likely have no choice but to look for a change of direction at the top. 

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