Dolphins hire Philbin as head coach

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MIAMI, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The Miami Dolphins announced Friday the team has hired Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their new head coach.

A news conference was scheduled for Saturday to introduce Philbin, who has been a member of the Packers' staff since 2003. Prior to going to Green Bay, Philbin had coached for eight colleges in a span of 18 years -- almost exclusively working with the offensive line.

"We are thrilled to have Joe Philbin join the Miami Dolphins as our head coach," said Stephen Ross, the franchise's chairman of the board and managing general partner. "Joe has all the attributes that we were looking for when we started this process. We felt Joe was the right choice to bring the Dolphins back to the success we enjoyed in the past."

Philbin has been offensive coordinator with the Packers since 2007. He replaces Tony Sparano, who was dismissed in Miami prior to the end of the 2011 season.

"I want to thank the Green Bay Packers for all the support the organization has given me during my time there," Philbin said in a statement released in Miami. "The Dolphins have a strong nucleus to build around and I know we will return the team to its winning tradition."

Green Bay and New England are the only two teams to have been in the Top 10 on offense during each of the last 10 seasons. The Packers reached the playoffs in four of the five years Philbin spent as the team's offensive coordinator.

Philbin becomes Miami's fifth coach since Don Shula retired in 1995 as the NFL's all-time leader in victories with 347. The longest stay for any coach since then has been the five years Dave Wannstedt spent with the Dolphins, a tenure that ended during the 2004 season.