Jon Gruden vs Bill Cowher: Who Brings More to the Table for the Miami Dolphins?

The Miami Dolphins find themselves in the middle of a head coach love triangle.

Miami’s season is wholly tanked.  Their offense is in shambles. And, with Tony Sparano all but out the door, the Dolphins are already courting potential successors.

Fortunately for Miami, the two most accomplished candidates, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher, appear ready to step back onto the sidelines. Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that both former coaches discreetly expressed interest coaching next year, possibly for the Dolphins.

So, for the next two months, Miami’s front office will debate the pros and cons between this pair of Super Bowl coaches, trying to determine which one is the prettier girl at the ball.

Truth of the matter is, two months is far more time than is needed.  Cowher is the best option, hands down. Here’s a look at why the Dolphins need to lay the foundation which will bring in the former head man from Pittsburgh.

They’d better move fast, too; Miami won’t be the only team looking for a new head coach next season.

Offensive Strategy

For any incoming coach, there is no more important project than Miami’s offense. The Dolphins stocked their skill positions with recognizable names; unfortunately, few of them built their reputations on solid, regular production.

Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall headline the Dolphins’ offensive act, and yes, you can pronounce “offensive” whichever way you prefer. Both players brought talent to the organization, but not nearly enough to compensate for their baggage. Bush remains an overpaid change-of-pace back and kick returner, while Marshall’s inconsistent catching ability does nothing to distract from his personal life sideshow.

Gruden made his bones retooling offenses, both in Oakland and in Tampa. Both times, Gruden took journeyman quarterbacks and coached Pro Bowl-quality seasons out of them. The Dolphins’ incumbent quarterback, Chad Henne, could likely benefit from Gruden’s tutelage.

Cowher, meanwhile, went through his career as a defensive coach. What’s more, he spent his formative years under Browns and Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer. While few would malign Schottenheimer’s defensive schemes, his ball control offense was referred to as “Martyball” for a reason.

That’s how things went for a while in Pittsburgh, hammering defenses with Jerome Bettis rushing up the middle. However, Cowher learned to adapt as needed. The Steelers shifted to a more vertical offense near the end of Cowher’s tenure, drafting Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward and Ben Roethlisberger to spearhead their new focus on the passing game.

When it comes to making things work on the offensive side of the ball, though, Gruden is arguably the best man for the job.

Advantage:  Gruden

Defensive Strategy

My personal bias led me to believe Cowher would smoke Gruden when it came to running a defense. Cowher built and led the second coming of the Steel Curtain, while Gruden merely inherited Tony Dungy's defense long enough to win a Super Bowl.

Cowher still comes out on top, but it's a lot closer that I expected.

In his ten years serving as head coach for the Raiders and Buccaneers, Gruden's team ranked among the top ten defense in the league seven times. They never ranked lower than 20th. Gruden may have picked up where Dungy left off, but he certainly didn't let it all go downhill once he got there—a tall feat considering the immense salary cap issues Tampa dropped in Gruden's lap.

But, the Steelers, while under Cowher, dominated on defense for more than a decade. What's more, Cowher's defensive experience tends more towards the now-trendy 3-4 defense, which Miami currently runs. The bulk of Gruden's experience comes from Dungy's Tampa variant of the Cover 2, a 4-3 system.

Rather than retool their defense, the Dolphins would be better served by signing the proven winner who fits their current scheme.

Advantage: Cowher

Team Chemistry

Running a team doesn’t just come down to Xs and Os; it involves scouting, signing and developing your players to form a cohesive unit, and getting the most out of your players.

Jon Gruden certainly accomplished a lot with his players. His first year with Tampa, Gruden demolished his former team with Brad Johnson behind center. Rich Gannon, Gruden’s previous veteran project, played for the other side.

Gruden’s drafting ability, however, came up well short of what the Bucs needed to maintain their championship-caliber team. A number of poor picks depleted the talent in Tampa; Davin Joseph was Gruden’s only draft pick to reach the Pro Bowl.

Furthermore, Gruden failed to build a rapport with his players, particularly those who came over from Tony Dungy’s team. After their Super Bowl win, even his own players attributed the championship more to Dungy than Gruden.

Bill Cowher has no such issues. Pittsburgh is notorious for building their team through the draft; Cowher’s draft picks continue to form the backbone for the Steelers.

Advantage:  Cowher

The Bottom Line

For good or ill, the ultimate measure of a coach is in their ability to win. Cowher dominates in this field most of all. In 15 years as Pittsburgh’s head coach, Cowher made the playoffs ten times, the AFC Championship six times and the Super Bowl twice. His regular season record stands at a ridiculous 149-90-1, never losing more than 10 games in a season.

Gruden’s record stands a much more pedestrian 95-81 over ten seasons, with five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl win. Gruden and Dungy brought the Buccaneers their first prolonged period of respectability since their creation in 1976. Even at their peak, though, they lacked the awe and mystique attributed to the Steelers.

If Miami is getting serious about building not just a playoff team, but rather a dynasty, their choice is clear. Cowher has the experience and credentials to turn the Dolphins around. Gruden would better serve a team that’s only a couple offensive tweaks away from a solid playoff run.

At 0-6, the Dolphins need a lot more than that.

Advantage:  Cowher