Bill Parcells takes a step back from Miami Dolphins, GM Jeff Ireland assumes full control

Ireland / AP Jeff Ireland has had the title of general manager since coming to the Dolphins before the 2008 season, but there was no question that Bill Parcells was the boss. Parcells held the even-more-impressive title of executive vice president of football operations, and his entry in the team’s media guide came before Ireland’s, too. But the Dolphins announced Tuesday afternoon that Parcells, who turned 69 last month, is taking a step back to be a “daily consultant,” while Ireland “will assume full control over all aspects and decisions in regard to the Miami Dolphin football team and support staff,” according to a statement not attributed to anybody in the organization. “This was the intent of the structure put in place in the past,” the statement also read. Parcells, who owns a home in Jupiter, and Ireland came to Miami from Dallas after the 2007 season to take over the Dolphins’ football operations after the firings of former GM Randy Mueller and coach Cam Cameron . Ireland’s biggest responsibility with the Dolphins has been coordinating the college and Canadian Football scouting efforts and running the Dolphins’ draft. While Ireland has had a hand in all personnel moves, Brian Gaine has mostly been in charge of directing the pro scouting efforts. Parcells has been an overseer of both departments. Now Ireland will take on additional responsibilities in the pro scouting department, as well as having a more authoritative position in contract negotiations. The timing of the move can likely be explained by the fact that most of the Dolphins’ scouting and roster moves are done for the season. Parcells helped Ireland with Senior Bowl and Combine scouting, free agency, the draft and training camp, and can step aside now that the heavy lifting is done. The move, of course, fuels speculation that Parcells is not long for the Dolphins. Parcells, now in his third season with the Dolphins, has spent exactly four years at each of his last three stops — New England, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Parcells is signed with the Dolphins through the 2011 season. Should Parcells not finish his contract, a prevailing theory is that owner Stephen Ross would hire his good friend, former Kansas City Chiefs president Carl Peterson , to run the Dolphins’ football operations. Add (5:34 p.m.): A team source confirmed my earlier hunch, saying that even though the regular season begins in five days, the timing of the personnel calendar made this a good time for Parcells to step back. “This is the point where the hay is in the barn,” the source said. “You’ve put your 53-man roster together,

and now you’re starting to gear up for next year. If you just look at the personnel calendar, this is probably as good a point in time as any to do this.” But not many people outside of Parcells and Ireland know what it means to be a “daily consultant.” Will Parcells still be in practice every day? Will he mostly retire to his condo in Jupiter and check in with the team every once in awhile? Will he attend games? Or will he continue to be around the facility every day. The team source said he doesn’t expect too much to change, other than Ireland having final say over personnel matters, whereas Parcells had final say on the one or two times the two disagreed. “I could be dead wrong, but I don’t think there’s going to be that much of a change,” the team source said. “If he’s not on the golf cart tomorrow (watching practice), I’ll be surprised.” Dolphins rookie Nolan Carroll said he noticed that Parcells always gives space to Ireland and Tony Sparano to do their jobs. “He wasn’t trying to be the coach at all. He didn’t overstep any boundaries,” Carroll said. “A lot of people in our organization respect Coach Parcells for that.” But Carroll was taken by surprise with the news. He hadn’t heard it before our phone conversation. “He looks enthusiastic to me,” Carroll said. “When we were working out in the weight room, he’s working out right next to us.” Radio broadcaster Joe Rose said he’s noticed a teacher-student relationship between Parcells and Ireland. Parcells has the ideas for how to build an organization, and Ireland has been the one responsible for executing it. “He set up this formula for players — team captains, seniors, all that stuff — and Ireland pretty much follows it,” Rose said. Carroll said he met equally with Parcells, Ireland and Sparano when he came to South Florida for interviews before the NFL Draft, and he noticed that Parcells and Ireland said many of the same things. “Just stuff as far as continuing to work hard, trying to get better every day, don’t settle for less,” Carroll said. “They’re not afraid to tell you, and if it’s not enough, they let you know, because they know what they see in you, and they’re trying to get it out of you. They’re going to criticize you just to get better. It’s not attacking you as a person, they’re just attacking the problem.”

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Bill Parcells takes a step back from Miami Dolphins, GM Jeff Ireland assumes full control

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