The Dolphins want their next head coach to be committed to Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback.
When the Miami front office begins the interview process to find the replacement for the fired Brian Flores, the “hope is to find a candidate who believes in [Tagovailoa] and can bring the best out of him,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Dolphins already have requested interviews with seven coaches working in the playoffs: Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown, Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The Dolphins considered dealing for Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of the trade deadline, but Tagovailoa enjoyed a strong finish to his second NFL campaign with six wins in his final seven starts. Now they plan to build around Tagovailoa.
Tua TagovailoaUSA TODAY SportsDolphins owner Stephen Ross said earlier this week that the organization now has “no plans” to obtain Watson, who didn’t play this season while under investigation for sexual misconduct.
After Flores was fired on Monday, a report in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel stated that he engaged in a profanity-laced argument with Tagovailoa on the sidelines during a Week 16 loss to the Titans.
The former Heisman Trophy winner, 23, finished the regular season with 2,653 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a passer rating of 90.1 over 13 games.
