Jeff Fisher

Update: Jan. 3 at 10:47 a.m. ET 

ESPN's Adam Schefter discussed the lined up interview, and he's at it again, as we now know that Fisher is indeed talking with the Dolphins today. 

This is good news for Miami fans, especially since he rode in a helicopter with Ross. The Dolphins need to make a big splash in finding a head coach, and there aren't many better ones on the market than Fisher. 

Of course, this doesn't mean he will be taking the job, but if he does we will let you know. It wouldn't be an easy task for Fisher, but it's something the Dolphins need to get done. 

Original Post

The word on the street is that the Miami Dolphins are setting the bar pretty high in their search for a head coach.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Dolphins have an interview lined up with former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher sometime within the next 24 to 48 hours.

The Dolphins are looking for a replacement for fired head coach Tony Sparano, who got the axe after compiling a 29-32 record over three-plus seasons at the helm. He started the 2011 season 0-7, a losing streak that all but sealed his fate.

In reality, the Dolphins have been looking for a replacement for Sparano for even longer. Last offseason, they courted then-Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh, and they didn't make much of an effort to hide their interest in him. Harbaugh ultimately ended up with the San Francisco 49ers, but the writing was on the wall for Sparano.

More than anything, what the Dolphins are looking for right now is stability. That's something they really haven't had since Don Shula left the organization in the mid-1990s. Since he left, the Dolphins have gone through seven head coaches, none of whom have lasted longer than five seasons.

If finding stability is the name of the game, it makes perfect sense that the Dolphins would be targeting Fisher.

Shoot, for a nearly two-decade-long stint as the head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Fisher practically defined the word "stability." He was always there, and the Titans were competitive more often than not. From 1999 to 2010, the Titans went to the playoffs six times, making it all the way to the Super Bowl in 1999.

The best part is that, somehow, Fisher is still only 53 years old. He's got plenty of coaching years left in him.

There is, of course, the obvious question of how Fisher would go about fixing the Dolphins if he gets the job. This is a team that went 6-10 in 2011, and is relatively far behind in the AFC East.

That being said, the truth is that the Dolphins really don't need that many repairs. They have the makings of a strong defense, and they have a couple of good pieces on their offensive line and good skill players they can count on. Brandon Marshall is as skilled as they come and Reggie Bush proved to be a fine pick-up.

The only thing the Dolphins are really missing is a franchise quarterback, which is something they haven't had since Dan Marino. To fix this problem, they could target Robert Griffin III in the draft, but Fisher could also grab a quarterback via free agency or a trade.

For example, a name like Matt Flynn is appealing.

Regardless of what kind of changes Fisher would make, you can rest assured that the guys the Dolphins already have would respond to him. Indeed, players know a guy like Jeff Fisher, and they would know that he's not just coming to Miami hoping to make a name for himself as a head coach (i.e. Sparano).

No sir, Fisher would be coming to Miami to win, and to rebuild a once-proud franchise.

There are only so many coaches out there who can match what Fisher brings to the table. The Dolphins would be lucky to have him if they get him.

And if they do get him, watch out.

In a press conference January 2 at Rams Park in Earth City, Missouri, St. Louis Rams' Chief Operative Officer and Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff addressed several topics, including the changes made today.

They included the firing of Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo, General Manager Billy Devaney, and all assistant coaches other than Josh McDaniels, who will reportedly be retained, at least for now.

Demoff emphasized that the performance of the Rams in recent years has been "unacceptable", and that the great fans in St. Louis deserve better.

He also touched on the vision the Rams have going forward, and, most specifically the search for a new general manager and head coach.

In that vein, Demoff revealed that both Dick Vermeil (the St. Louis head coach who led the franchise to a Super Bowl win in 2000) and Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, will serve as consultants in assisting Demoff.

Also, St. Louis owner Stan Kroenke would be "heavily involved" in the impending head coach and general manager search.

At this time, Demoff says that the Rams have not contacted any potential candidates; however, he did speak at length about former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher, who has been rumored to be a target by St. Louis owner Stan Kroenke and the Rams' front office.

However, reports are now surfacing that Fisher will be interviewed later in the week.

Nonetheless, don't expect quick hires. Demoff hinted that the process of putting a general manager and head coach in place could take a few weeks. 

Beyond looking specifically for a head coach and general manager, will the Rams bring in a CEO or team President to oversee the organization?

Some interesting names that have been tossed around cyberspace include Marshall Faulk, former St. Louis Cardinals Executive Mark Lamping, St. Louis legend Dan Dierdorf, the aforementioned Dick Vermeil, former KC Chiefs General Manager Carl Peterson, and Rams' COO Kevin Demoff himself.

It is unclear, however, if St. Louis will move in this direction. 

However, what does seem to be clear is that St. Louis is heading in the right direction.

It was encouraging to see that owner Stan Kroenke acted decisively and swiftly. Demoff's detailed press conference suggests that the Rams have a big picture plan in place, and will take their time to ensure that they get things right moving forward through 2012 and beyond.

St. Louis fans needed a change. Many positive changes seem to be in order, especially with the impressive Kevin Demoff guiding the franchise going forward. 

Speaking about the fans specifically, Demoff praises the fan support in St. Louis. He asserted that the organization needs to give Rams' fans the results they deserve, which includes the Lombardi Trophy.

The buzz is back, already, in St. Louis, with today's happenings.

With changes coming at head coach and general manager, the number two pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft locked down, and the team having the most cap room in the NFL following the 2012 season heading towards the 2013 league year, hopes are on the rise.

As Demoff alluded to, it all boils down to doing what it takes to get the organization on the right track and ultimately building a—"winning tradition in St. Louis."

St. Louis' fans deserve nothing less and want nothing more.

I believe that, ultimately, today was the first step towards Rams' owner and Missouri's own Stan Kroenke doing just that.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here.  You are also encouraged to follow him here on Twitter.   

The St. Louis Rams made it very clear that they plan on going in a whole new direction, as they fired head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney. 

Where could the new direction lay? Perhaps by hiring former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.

NBC Sports is reporting that Fisher will interview for the Rams head coaching job sometime this week, and I figure that he'll be not only a prime candidate for the St. Louis job, but he'll be a hot commodity on the open market this offseason. 

During Spagnoulo's time in St. Louis, he posted a pitiful 10-38 record in three seasons, and it appeared that the franchise was just treading water and not improving whatsoever. Perhaps the only bright moment of Spag's time in St. Louis was the development of quarterback Sam Bradford, but he struggled tremendously this past season. 

Fisher spent 17 seasons as the Houston Oilers and the Tennessee Titans head coach, as he posted an impressive 142-120 record while leading his team to one Super Bowl. With Fisher at the helm, his team's average finish is a decent 2.5; his teams are usually contenders for their division title. 

There have been no further reports on Fisher, besides that he wants to coach again, according to NBC Sports. 

With so many head coaching jobs opening up, I believe Fisher will likely land somewhere other than St. Louis, possibly a team like the San Diego Chargers or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

For more articles like this, check out PatriotsPlus.net.

According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Indianapolis Colts have fired both Bill and Chris Polian.

That being said, it remains to be seen as to whether head coach Jim Caldwell will return for the 2012 season. If not, it's obviously better to replace him now—as opposed to just before or after the 2012 NFL draft.

With a reputable head coach such as Jeff Fisher available on the coaches' free-agent market, it almost seems inevitable.

In an article by Mike Freeman of CBS Sports, he said he believes that Fisher could end up in Indy if Caldwell is let go.

I'm told by a source close to Fisher that of all the jobs, two mainly intrigue him.
One is Indianapolis (though it's not certain the Colts will fire Jim Caldwell). Fisher, I'm told, loves the idea of coaching either Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck (or both). Well, yeah, of course he would. What coach wouldn't?

As for where the Colts need to improve, their defense ranks No. 15 against the pass and No. 26 against the run. They allowed a total of 370 yards per game (rank No. 25).

Indianapolis also allowed an average of 26.9 points per game (rank No. 28), so the red-zone defense needs to improve also.

To make matters worse, the Colts finished -10 in turnover differential (rank No. 27) and forced just 16 total turnovers on the year (eight picks, eight fumble recoveries).

If owner Jim Irsay wants to revive the attitude of his team, bringing in a coach such as Jeff Fisher will immediately turn things around.

Fisher will have the locker room's respect from the start. He'll be sure they draft Andrew Luck to one-day takeover for Peyton Manning.

Also, being that Indianapolis is in the AFC South, it's a bittersweet position for Fisher. He'll have the opportunity to beat his former team, the Tennessee Titans.

Plus, after all those years of getting beaten by Peyton Manning, it would be a relief for Fisher to have Manning on his side. Not to mention Peyton would make a great NFL coach once retired, so maybe Fisher keeps him on staff as Luck develops.

We're talking about reloading in Circle City, not rebuilding.

The St. Louis Rams are not wasting time in looking for a new head coach. Famed former Titans coach Jeff Fisher is reportedly set to interview for the vacancy. 

NBC Sports reports Peter King issued on air that Fisher would interview for the spot left open after Steve Spagnuolo was fired. The Rams would get a long-tenured head coach who has been targeted by a few teams since he left Tennessee. 

The St. Louis Rams followed a promising, albeit mediocre, 2010 with one of the worst finishes in the NFL. The Rams immediately parted ways with a head coach they had immense confidence in just a year prior. 

It seems St. Louis is swinging for the fences in the possible hire of Jeff Fisher. The former Titans coach is the epitome of longevity on the sidelines, spending 16 seasons with the Oilers and Titans organizations. 

The report issues that Fisher is widely assumed to want his next team to have an accomplished quarterback. That wish harkens back to the dismal last days in Tennessee where turmoil boiled over with Vince Young.

The Rams certainly have a budding young star in Sam Bradford. The one thing the team needs is added protection along the offensive line, and that can be selected as the franchise now owns the second overall draft selection. 

Another report from NBC Sports' Michael David Smith reports Fisher is indeed keen on coaching once again in the NFL. In fact, he has the Rams and Chargers at the top of his list. 

The good news for St. Louis is that they will have the first crack at the highly coveted coach. This level of hire would be tremendous for a franchise that has been mired in futility for far too long. 

Fisher would bring back a great deal of confidence in the direction the team is headed in. For once, the Rams would be on the winning side of things. Fisher is expected to interview shortly, and it is obvious that Rams fans are hoping all goes well in the process.

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According to a post-game report today by cbssports.com, St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo says the Rams have:

“character and fight...to build anything, the base has to have a rock-solid foundation and that’s there," he said.  "We’ve got to wait eight months to play a game, but I’m glad that’s there.”

The question in St. Louis right now is who will be the head coach for that game in eight months?  

That decision is expected to be announced on Monday, according to a report by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who cites league sources.  

In three seasons under Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams went 10-38.  

Hopes were high in St. Louis entering 2011.  

Many picked the Rams to win the NFC West.  Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network asserted that St. Louis would be the league's breakout team.  

However, the Rams faltered during an 0-6 start before winning two of three, including the season's biggest win, an upset victory at the Edward Jones Dome over record-setting Drew Brees and the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints. 

But then they lost their final seven contests, including the finale today at home versus NFC West champion San Francisco.  

In Spagnuolo's defense, however, the Rams players never seemed to quit and the roster was ravaged by injuries throughout the year.

Some notable players lost for the season include Sam Bradford's top receiving target, Danny Amendola (as well as rookie Greg Salas), the teams' top three cornerbacks (Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy) and both starting offensive tackles (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith)—among others.

The team also lost three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson for several games before suffering long-term injuries to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley.

With that said, 2-14 is still 2-14. And 10-38 is still 10-38.  

In the NFL, it's the bottom line that counts. And the bottom line doesn't look good for Spagnuolo's Rams. Expect him to be relieved of his head coaching duties as early as Monday.

According to a report by Albert Breer of the NFL Network, Jeff Fisher is ready to return to coaching. The St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers are listed as possible options for Fisher.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here.  You are also encouraged to follow him here on Twitter.   

To say that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a tumultuous 2011 season would be an understatement. All of the chaos had led to a lot of speculation about the future of head coach Raheem Morris, and that talk will get louder with Jeff Fisher being seen at the team's hotel in Atlanta. 

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Fisher is a dream candidate for the Buccaneers if they decide to make a coaching change after Sunday's regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons.

Fisher is believed to top the Bucs' wish list should they decide to dismiss Morris after today's season finale against the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Call it a coincidence of convenience. It turns out Fisher's son, Trent, is a walk-on safety for Auburn, which defeated Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl Saturday night. 

It wouldn't be hard for the Bucs' to anticipate Fisher's whereabouts. With former Steelers coach Bill Cowher all but ruling out a return to the sidelines in 2012, Fisher is considered the prime candidate for nearly every anticipated head coaching vacancy, including San Diego, Jacksonville, Kansas City and Miami.

Fisher would certainly bring instant credibility with him thanks to 16 seasons coaching the Houston Oilers/Tennesee Titans. He made six playoff appearances with the franchise, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1999. 

Considering where the Buccaneers are at right now, Fisher would be the perfect choice for this team. We don't know exactly what, if anything, happened between him and the team at the hotel, so all of this is still speculation right now. 

But this team needs some kind of a change, and Fisher has the kind of mentality to get them back to where they were in 2010. 

He has had success with young teams, and has a way of motivating players that few coaches in the league can do right now. 

Fisher may or may not be looking to get a job with an NFL team right now, but the Buccaneers would be wise to at least call him to see what it would take to convince him to lead this team. 

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You have to give Jacksonville Jaguars new owner Shahid Khan credit. He loves to think big and on a large scale.

While the Midwestern business tycoon stated a week ago that he wants the Jaguars to make a splash in the NFL with him as owner, he is looking to broaden the fanbase and is looking for a head coach that can bring the first-ever Super Bowl championship to northern Florida.

In just a few short weeks, Khan again has people in the sports world talking about a team that is currently 4-10 on the season and one of the unsuccessful stories of the NFL season.

But now there is hope. With the right hire at head coach, this team could be another source of conversation in 2012, but for another reason.

Curiously, one of the men being mentioned as a possible replacement for fired head coach Jack Del Rio and current interim coach Mel Tucker is someone who caused fits for this team as part of a bitter rivalry between Tennessee and Jacksonville.

Jeff Fisher hasn't been on an NFL sideline this season, but could he be the one to get the nod to lead these Jaguars to Khan's desire of a championship down the road?

According to Gregg Rosenthal of www.nflprotalk.com, Fisher has already been contacted by two teams.

Reports over the last few weeks since Del Rio was let go by the team, several other candidates have been on the radar for Jacksonville.

Fisher seems to be a good fit for this team. 

His coaching experience in the AFC South and his 146-120 career record as an NFL head coach proves he can win and not just hover around the mediocrity. Since Fisher is a defensive-minded coach, he would be able to mold this team, currently ranked in the top five overall in defense, in his own image from his days as a defensive back with the Chicago Bears and as a defensive coach under Buddy Ryan in Philadelphia.

Fisher's desire and drive are something fresh this team needs.

He was very vocal in the 1990s when he and his Tennessee Titans were the only team to beat Jacksonville two times in the 1999 season when Jacksonville went 14-2, but fell in the AFC Championship Game, 33-14.

Fisher may show up in another city when everything is said and done, but Khan should take a look at Fisher's success over 17 seasons and realize making the man who beat you year after year is the one you want leading your team, year after year.