JT the Brick

It was refreshing to watch Bill Cowher's final press conference as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. All that was missing was a final standing ovation by all of the media in attendance after Cowher thanked them for a quality working relationship that lasted for 15 years.

Compare that to all of the lies that former Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban spewed to media members throughout the past several months as his name was linked to the coaching vacancy in Alabama. Bill Cowher proved that you could coach a football team and deal with the fans of that franchise with dignity and respect on a consistent basis. Most Steelers fans understood that the Rooney family should have ripped up Cowher's contract after he coached the team to a victory in Super Bowl XL and rewarded him with a new extension for significantly more money. Cowher left Pittsburgh for the same reason Saban left Miami — money.

The NFL continues to make billions of dollars each year through their high-priced television contracts and gate receipts and there seems to be no end in sight to the tremendous financial upside. Head coaches will continue to be hired and fired at an alarming rate because owners will remain desperate to win and will spend the money to fix their problems on the field.A high-profile head coach can not only help a team turn their fortunes around on the field, but also quiet an angry fan base that demands change after a disappointing era.

Bill Cowher will most likely take one year off from coaching and then return to a new franchise that is desperate for his energy and experience.   Expect Bill Cowher to hold his next press conference in January of 2008, announcing that he is either the new head coach of either the New York Giants, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys or Carolina Panthers. Then, once again, we will see him stick out his chin and smile from ear to ear, as he addresses the media as the highest paid head coach in the NFL.

Pete Carroll should be the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He has nothing left to prove at USC even though his 2007 team could be the most talented roster that he has ever put on the field. That being said, Carroll is more qualified to take over the vacancy that was left by Nick Saban than any other coach in America.

The Dolphins are owned by Wayne Huizenga, who is considered one of the premier owners in professional sports. He will now look to make a big splash in the free-agent coaching market to take away the sting from Saban bolting to Alabama. Huizenga is obviously very disappointed that Saban left with several years left on his contract, and the Dolphins no closer to making the playoffs than when he was originally hired.

Miami is a major sports town and Carroll is the only successful coach who could be tempted to leave the college ranks for the prestige of the NFL. He still has a lot to prove at the NFL level after unsuccessful stays as the head coach of the New England Patriots and New York Jets, compiling a record of 33-31 and winning only one playoff game.

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Carroll is just what Huizenga needs to get his franchise back on the map, and he would get a significant raise to relocate to Miami. Carroll can instantly become one of the top three highest paid coaches in the NFL if he decides to leave the Trojans.

Saban dumped the Dolphins because he realized that the franchise needed a vast overhaul and his plan to get the team to the playoffs might have taken several more seasons. Miami has several great players on defense, including Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor, but their best years are behind them and they will soon need to be replaced with younger players.

The Dolphins lost there final three games and went 1-5 in the AFC East, so these are truly desperate times in South Florida. Miami still needs to make a long-term decision concerning the quarterback position because Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington don't have the confidence and support of the fan base to lead this franchise into the future.

Think of what Carroll could do. He would reenergize the Dolphins fan base and take a long-term approach at rebuilding a team that would listen to a coach who has an amazing track record at coaching young players. He's also garnered newfound respect from his peers after building a dynasty at USC.