The Miami Dolphins have appointed Tony Sparano as their new head coach.
Miami name fifth new coach in five years.
The Miami Dolphins have named Tony Sparano as their new head coach for next season.
The 46-year-old will be Miami's fifth new coach in five years and is charged with the task of resurrecting a Dolphins team that narrowly avoided a winless season with a 1-15 record.
Sparano is a former coach at the University of New Haven, and spent three years with the Dallas Cowboys after being hired by then-coach Bill Parcells.
Parcells is now the executive vice-president of football operations in Miami and has chosen a man he knows well to lead the team as head coach.
During his time at Dallas, Sparano was tight ends coach, offensive line coach and, last season, was promoted to assistant head coach by Wade Phillips.
Challenge
Also the offensive line coach, running game co-ordinator and play caller in 2006, Sparano will now have the tough job of turning things around in Miami.
"I can't make any promises about anything," Sparano said.
"I'm here because I want to be and I believe I can handle the job and get this team to where it needs to be.
"I can't worry about what's happened in the past. My concern is about what's happening today.
"We're going to surround our players with the best coaches and teachers. We're going to work them as hard as we can. At the end of the day, we hope that will be good enough."
A 1982 graduate of New Haven, Sparano was the head coach of his alma mater from 1994-98, leading the Chargers to the 1997 NCAA Division II national championship game.
Sparano was an assistant at New Haven from 1984-87 and an assistant at Boston University from 1988-93. BU were 11-0 in 1993.
