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The Miami Dolphins have decided to restructure their football operations, but Dave Wannstedt will remain the field general.
A second straight playoff-less season was supposed to doom Wannstedt. Instead, the Dolphins gave their coach a two-year extension through the 2006 season on Monday.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
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But Miami owner Wayne Huizenga believes the time has finally come to hire a
general manager. Since taking over as Dolphins coach in 2000, Wannstedt has
worked with vice president of football operations Rick Spielman on personnel
matters. Now Wannstedt will concentrate more on coaching his team on the field.
"We believe that this change gives us a well-balanced football structure," Huizenga said. "With the evolving nature of the NFL since the introduction of a salary cap, it has become increasingly difficult for one individual to be responsible for both coaching and player personnel matters.
"As a result, approximately two-thirds of the teams in the league now operate in a system that features a strong general manager, with most of those organizations also featuring a salary cap expert."
Bryan Wiedmeier has managed Miami's salary cap and will remain in his capacity as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Since replacing Jimmy Johnson as coach in 2000, Wannstedt guided the Dolphins to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, but failed to get them into the postseason the last two years.
This past season, the Dolphins became the first team since 1991 to miss the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
"We're not happy we're not in the playoffs again, but we are happy with coach Wannstedt," said Dolphins president Eddie Jones at a Monday news conference.
Wannstedt has a 41-23 record and 1-2 mark in the postseason in four years with Miami.
Wannstedt's biggest personnel move was the acquisition of running back Ricky Williams from New Orleans in March 2002. Wannstedt believed that was the missing piece for a run to the Super Bowl, but the Dolphins haven't even reached the playoffs with the star running back.
Now another general manager
will have to find the other pieces needed to get Miami back into the postseason.