Bill Cowher Doesn't Plan to Coach in 2012

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach and current CBS analyst said on this morning's NFL Today pregame show that he doesn't plan on coaching next season. That's bad news for the Miami Dolphins and other teams who might be in the market for a new leader.

Cowher has a career record of 149-90-1 and won the Super Bowl in 2005. He also has two AFC Championships and a Coach of the Year Award on his resume.

It's obvious why he's also one of the first names brought up when a team needs a new coach. He's one of the best defensive minds in the business and can get players to run through walls for him. And the ring around his finger doesn't hurt, either.

His coaching tree includes names like Chan Gailey, Marvin Lewis and Ken Whisenhunt.

Cowher has been linked to the Dolphins, who could be in line to draft Andrew Luck at season's end, but the team denied contacting him. And now it appears he will remain in the studio for at least another season.

It's the right decision for Cowher, who can wait for the perfect job to come open while maintaining his comfortable studio job. The Dolphins have a ton of holes to fill and it's not worth risking his legacy in order to get back on the sidelines.

Drafting Luck would be the first step toward fixing the franchise, but Cowher would be better off holding his cards close to the vest until a team on the brink of a playoff run becomes available. The Dolphins certainly aren't that right now.

And who knows, maybe Cowher isn't interested in coaching any more. The job he has right now is a lot less stressful and allows him to spend more time with his family.