When it comes to coaching searches, the last 24 hours have been some of the craziest you will ever witness.  It reminds me of one of my college nights that turned into the following day…at the end of which I didn’t know which way was up.  From what we can gather, Jim Harbaugh was all set to become the next head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, as a contract was agreed to in principle.  That was until news broke last night that Stephen Ross, the Dolphins billionaire owner, was on his way to meet with Harbaugh in San Francisco.  Harbaugh agreed to meet with Ross to hear the Dolphins second pitch.  We say second pitch because the Dolphins first pitch, apparently didn’t impress Harbaugh.  Their second pitch will likely impress him, as the Dolphins owner is willing to pay Harbaugh roughly $2 million more than what San Francisco has  offered.

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Put simply, Ross is willing to make Harbaugh the highest paid coach in the NFL.  You read that right.  Ross is so enamored with Harbaugh that he is willing to pay a rookie NFL Head Coach more than every other coach in the league.  Stephen Ross can spend his money however he wishes, it doesn’t count against any cap that is upcoming.  If he and his management team think that Harbaugh is the best option for the Dolphins moving forward, go for it.  It’s not our money, it’s not your money, it’s a billionaire’s money.  As I’m typing that, I feel like a Yankee fan, which just made me throw up in my mouth.   Sorry.

While all of this is happening, Tony Sparano (remember him?), is still the Miami Dolphins head coach.  We feel bad for Tony, we really do.  How would you like it if your girlfriend/wife was so desperate to replace you that she flew across country to talk to your potential replacement. Did I mention that your replacement is engaged and on his way to the church?  That’s about the same situation that Sparano is in.  What choice does he have though?  If he resigns, he doesn’t get paid.  If he sticks it out, he’ll get paid either way and might even get a contract extension if all other coaching possibilities fall through.  That’s business, but we can’t help but feel bad for Sparano.

Amidst all of the craziness that was last night, we learned a few things:

1. The Dolphins made a contract offer of about $7 mil to Jon Gruden.  Gruden turned down the offer, as he reportedly is looking for a deal closer to $10 mil.

2. Carl Peterson is heavily involved in the Dolphins at this juncture.  He could soon be named to the VP of Football Operations, ala Bill Parcells.  Peterson has a track record in the NFL and is a confidant of Stephen Ross.

3. Jason LaCanfora said this morning on Armando and the Amigo that John Fox could be a fallback option for the Dolphins if they cannot land Harbaugh.

4. Stephen Ross likes Jeff Ireland more than he likes Tony Sparano.  He wants to keep the GM in place, while replacing the coach.

5. On Mike and Mike this morning on ESPN Radio, they debated whether or not it was proper for Harbaugh to accept the meeting with Ross, when the Dolphins do not currently have a head coaching job available.  No one really knows what has been said to Tony Sparano, so we wouldn’t be too quick to make judgements.

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The drama of the Miami Dolphins coaching decision 2011 continues.  Word began to leak this evening that the 49ers meeting with Stanford Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh was going very well.  In fact, the meeting extended into a dinner meeting.  As we mentioned last night, we’ve heard rumors that an agreement for Harbaugh to become the next 49ers head coach was already in place.  The 49ers were clearly the front runner for Harbaugh’s services.  To comply with the Rooney Rule, the 49ers met with Hue Jackson earlier today.

Things sounded as if they were about to be finalized, with a contract being signed in the next few days.  Well, moments ago, reports from Chris Mortenson of ESPN and Incarcerated Bob of rotoinfo.com both indicated that Stephen Ross was flying to San Francisco to meet with Harbaugh in a last ditch effort to secure him as coach of the Miami Dolphins.  Here are the latest tweets on the subject:

Chris Mortenson (@mortreport)

Filed to ESPN: Dolphins owner Steve Ross has traveled west to make an urgent pitch to Jim Harbaugh to become their next coach

Rotoinfo.com’s Incarcerated Bob (@incarceratedbob)

**BREAKING NEWS** As Harbaugh & agent are finalizing contract with 49ers Dolphins Owner makes one last pitch> Says he will pay 10MILL More

**BREAKING NEWS** The Niners associates & Harbaugh are at a Italian restaurant as we speak – Agent just got wind of Ross coming to SF on Jet

**BREAKING NEWS** 49ers still favs to get Harbaugh’s name on a contract be4 Friday

Jason LaCanfora (@JasonLaCanfora)

Dolphins officials meeting with Harbaugh on West Coast.  More ahead on NFL.com

As I was typing that Chris Mortenson posted a story on Espn.com which can be found here.  Mort’s sources are saying that Ross flew to San Francisco to meet with Harbaugh and was accompanied by Jeff Ireland and NFL Executive Carl Peterson.  Mort goes on to say that Ross is willing to make Harbaugh the highest paid coach in the NFL.  In the last paragraph it’s clear that Harbaugh was not impressed by the initial presentation he heard from the Dolphins…I’m speechless and as a blogger, that’s not a good thing!

WOW!  It’s a lot to digest. I can’t help but wonder how Tony Sparano must feel right about now.  His boss is flying across country to meet with his potential replacement.  It also makes the Dolphins look unhappy with Sparano and desperate for a replacement.  Stay tuned because this story is getting crazier and crazier!

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Phin Nation is currently in a holding pattern as we wait for the chips to fall and for the Miami Dolphins to finally make a decision on who their head coach is going to be in 2011.  While it is painful for all of us fans, think about how tough it must be for Tony Sparano and to a lesser degree, Jeff Ireland.  We want to know what’s going on, who will steer the ship.  But in the balance holds the livelihood of two men.  Here’s a look at the possibilities, along with the latest news we’re hearing:

Jeff Fisher

Not a name that has been thrown around much in regards to the Dolphins.  Jeff Darlington tweeted a few minutes ago that this could be a reason the Dolphins are still hesitant to confirm Sparano is back. We think Fisher is a great coach and the Titans would be crazy to let him go.

Bill Cowher

As we said earlier, it’s thought that Cowher wants full control, meaning that Ireland AND Sparano would be out in Miami.  The only way I see the Dolphins giving him that power is if Stephen Ross believe Sparano can’t get the job done and there are no other high profile candidates left.

Jon Gruden

He supposedly loves his TV gig with ESPN and truth be told, he’s pretty good at what he does.  He’s also still being paid by the Tampa Bay Bucs, so it would take quite a bit of money to lure him back into coaching.

Jim Harbaugh

As we first reported last night, there are numerous rumors claiming that the 49ers are the front runner for his services.   Perhaps news hasn’t ‘officially’ broken, as the have an interview with Hue Jackson, likely to comply with the Rooney Rule.  Peter King tweeted earlier that he believes he’ll end up in San Francisco by the end of the week and not in Miami.  Sadly, he was our favorite candidate to help lead the Dolphins to the promised land.

Others

That’s pretty much it for the high profile coaches.  Sure, Brian Billick and Jim Fassel could be discussed, but they aren’t as attractive as the others.  There’s also a chance the Dolphins have their eyes on a coordinator from one of the teams still in the playoffs.  Remember, teams can’t speak with coordinators unless their team is on a bye week during the playoffs.  The unfortunate reality to this is that we could be stuck in a holding pattern for some time now…along with Tony Sparano AND Jeff Ireland.

It’s the offseason for the Miami Dolphins, but judging by the number of page views PhinNation.com is receiving this week, you wouldn’t know it!  The amount of uncertainty surrounding the Dolphins right now is nauseating.   Tony Sparano is in a holding pattern, like he’s circling MIA airport, waiting to land, or crash.  Jeff Ireland thinks he may be safe, but that’s only until the Dolphins get desperate and throw a ton of money and power at Bill Cowher.  Here’s what we’re reading this morning:

Players Complaining about Sparano

Armando Salgueor of the Miami Herald takes a look at why Dolphins players are only now coming forward and voicing their concern over the team’s philosophy.  From Ricky Williams to Brandon Marshall, Armando looks at what each is trying to say, and why they are saying it now.

Jason Taylor weighs in on Sparano

Mike Berardino of the Sun Sentinel discusses Jason Taylor’s thoughts on Dolphins Head Coach, Tony Sparano.  His comments should be taken somewhat seriously, as he called himself a ‘Tony guy’ before leaving the team to go to the hated Jets.  In short, Taylor says that the micromanaging and tense atmosphere make it tough for some players to excel.

Harbaugh no longer a candidate in Miami?

Take it for what it’s worth, but rotoinfo.com is reporting that the 49ers have agreed to a deal with Jim Harbaugh to become their next head coach.  There isn’t much information yet, as the 49ers are interviewing Hue Jackson to comply with the Rooney Rule.  This may be why the report suggest the announcement will not happen for another 24 hours.  If Harbaugh is no longer a candidate, Stephen Ross could become desperate and get Bill Cowher on the phone.  He could present Cowher with a blank check and the power that Tony Sparano/Jeff Ireland currently hold.

Phin Nation is fed up

Brian Miller of PhinPhanatic.com discusses why Phins fans are fed up.  The disappointing season is over and now the offseason is off to a tumultuous start.  Keep the Faith Phin Nation…things can’t get much worse, they WILL get better!

Season Review

Thephinsider.com takes a look at the 2010 season and dissects the good and the bad.  What went right?  What went wrong?  What did we learn?  What’s next for the Miami Dolphins?

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Jason LaCanfora reported this morning that the Miami Dolphins are exploring Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach.  The Stanford coach was in Miami last night for the Orange Bowl, so the speculation is running wild.

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Harbaugh would be an interesting option as he has ties to Jeff Ireland from his Chicago Bears days, as well as to owner Stephen Ross.  He would bring some exciting offensive football to a team that severely needs a kick in the pants on offense. He has been rumored more heavily to be going to Michigan to coach the Wolverines or to San Francisco to coach the 49ers.

This report comes on the heels of Jeff Darlington’s report last night of a ‘very productive’ meeting between Stephen Ross, Mike Dee, Tony Sparano, and Jeff Ireland.  Something smells fishy in Miami…..

In addition, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported earlier that the Miami Dolphins also reached out to people connected with Bill Cowher to gauge his interest.  However, at this point nothing looks like it will progress with the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, as he would want control over player personnel decisions.  A source familiar with the Dolphins thinking says that Jeff Ireland could remain as GM, which would be a limit to Cowher’s power.  We still haven’t written off the chance of Cowher to Miami, but at this time it doesn’t seam likely, unless the situation changes.

To read Jason’s latest news about Harbaugh, check here.

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The biggest news we are waiting on from the Miami Dolphins, should come within the next 24-36 hours. We should know by tomorrow night if the Dolphins will retain Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland or if they will look to change course.  We also heard a soon to be former Dolphins running back criticize his teammates and to a degree his coaches.  Here’s a look at that and other Dolphins news and notes for Tuesday:

Sparano to stay?
Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald reported last night that Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland met with Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and CEO Mike Dee yesterday afternoon for several hours. After the meeting, Ross said the meeting was very productive and Darlington said he seemed at peace.  This would indicate that it’s likely that Sparano and Ireland could be back.  The decision should be made within then next day or so.

Ricky Williams lashes out

Yesterday, on his weekly radio spot, we heard a side of Ricky Williams that very few have heard before.  He said that the Dolphins were unprepared for the New England Patriots on Sunday.  He went on to say that he thought Sparano lost some of the locker room at the end of the season and that he micromanages the small stuff too much.  A great read for anyone that wants to know what the inside of the locker room is really thinking.  After reading the comments from Ricky, I think it’s a good bet that he’s elsewhere in 2011.

A ‘Dear Tony’ letter

Ronnie over at PhinPhanatic.com decided to write down what most of Phin Nation was thinking yesterday.  He wrote the letter to Tony Sparano.  Going into Sunday’s game, we thought that Sparano could still be the leader of the Dolphins in 2011.  However, seeing how lethargic the team played Sunday, a change may be needed.

Questions for Ross

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel throws out a number of questions that Stephen Ross should ask Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland in their post-season meetings.  We don’t know if Ross asked these questions or plans to, but they are well thought out and hit right at the heart of what’s wrong with the Dolphins moving forward.

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