Omar Kelly: Steve Ross' hiring history with Dolphins has been traumatic

MIAMI — Steve Ross is much like the single guy at the bar who won’t approach a woman he’s attracted to because he’s terrified of rejection.

That’s the easiest and most succinct way to explain this billionaire’s hiring practices since 2009, when he became the majority owner of South Florida’s NFL franchise.

Remember, his first task as the Miami Dolphins’ majority owner was to beg Bill Parcells to stay as the franchise’s vice president.

Parcells lasted in that role for a season and a half more, and when he left Ross stepped out on Tony Sparano, courting Jim Harbaugh to replace a coach he hadn’t fired.

That courtship led to a massive embarrassment for Ross.

Harbaugh ultimately rejected him, instead choosing to join the San Francisco 49ers. And the courtship of Harbaugh created a rift between Sparano and Jeff Ireland, the coach and general manager tandem Parcells initially installed. Those two didn’t speak to each other for an entire year.

Once Sparano got whacked during the 2011 season, Ross gave former Titans coach Jeff Fisher the full-court press. He picked the Rams over the Dolphins, and Ross then settled on Joe Philbin, who turned out to be the worst of all his hires.

When it was time to get rid of Ireland after the 2013 season Ross was forcing the next general manager to inherit Philbin. Because of that stance at least three candidates — Ray Farmer, Eric DeCosta and Nick Caserio — turned him down.

He eventually hired Dennis Hickey, but the entire hiring process turned out to be yet another embarrassment.

Then, when Ross discovered Hickey wasn’t up to speed on sports science and sports analytics like he hoped, Ross hired Mike Tannenbaum as a consultant, employing the former Jets executive to build those branches of his organization.

During the process of watching Tannenbaum work Ross realized he was more qualified to lead his franchise than Hickey, and subsequently put Tannenbaum, whom he initially refused to interview for the GM job, at the top of his organization, naming him vice president of football operations.

A year later Tannenbaum whacked Hickey and promoted Chris Grier, an underling Hickey had to be convinced not to fire, to the general manager role, and the Dolphins hired Adam Gase in 2016 instead of sticking with Dan Campbell, the popular interim coach who led Miami to a 5-7 record as Philbin’s replacement.

The Tannenbaum, Grier and Gase era lasted all of three seasons before Gase lost the locker room, Ross got tired of the losing and constant rebuilding and whacked Tannenbaum and Gase at the same time, handing the keys of the franchise to Grier, who survived because of his collaborative nature.

Grier’s first hire was Brian Flores, a Bill Belichick disciple. For once Ross landed his first choice in a hiring process.

Problem is, Flores spent three years making more enemies than allies while producing a 24-25 record, and was eventually fired by Ross for insubordination, which triggered a class-action lawsuit which is still ongoing.

The Dolphins then tried to use back-channel routes to hire Sean Payton, courting the recently retired New Orleans Saints head coach. Miami got punished for tampering by the league and had to forfeit draft picks. The Dolphins subsequently hired Mike McDaniel, who wasn’t interviewed for another head coach position even though eight jobs were open in 2022.

So Ross basically settled for the coach nobody else wanted at the time?

Do you notice a trend, see the common thread?

There’s a lengthy trail of rejection, a history from Ross that’s seemingly scaring off targeted candidates, and a substantial history of painful hiring cycles.

That trauma’s likely the reason Ross quickly decided to keep things status quo in Miami for at least one more season, retaining Grier and McDaniel, while making it clear the bar needs to be raised.

“I believe in the value of stability. However, continuity in leadership is not to be confused with an acceptance that status quo is good enough,” Ross said in last week’s carefully worded statement announcing no changes would be made after Miami’s 8-9 season. “We will take a hard look at where we have fallen short and make the necessary changes to deliver our ultimate goal of building and sustaining a winning team that competes for championships.”

That likely means Grier and McDaniel get one more chance to build a team that will end the franchise’s 25-year streak of not winning a playoff game, which is the longest in professional sports.

Ross will likely go over their plan with a fine-tooth comb, so he knows where the shortcomings are, which is important to be aware of when it comes time to finally pull the plug.

What comes next is either a winning season that produces a playoff win, or two, or a complete reset, a scorched-earth restart of the Dolphins after 2025.

Grier and McDaniel realize they are each on the clock, working as a package deal, and Ross has made it crystal clear what the expectations are.

“It was a very disappointing year. It was a hard year. A lot of lessons were learned, and unfortunately, I think sometimes you have to go through these [types of seasons] to take your next step,” Grier said. “[We’re] very committed and excited for 2025 and the challenge. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing worth attaining is easy.”