DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell exuded intensity and energy Monday afternoon. These are two qualities the Dolphins (1-3) severely lacked in their first four games.
"We have enough to win," Campbell said. "We have to change the culture. I have to change the culture, and that's what I intend to do."
Campbell intends to turn around the Dolphins by holding tougher, more intense practices and by coaching more aggressively on game days. Although Campbell said he has the utmost respect for former head coach Joe Philbin, who was fired earlier Monday, Campbell explained that he will do things much differently and that there wasn't enough competition during Miami's preparation.
"I don't want guys to just do their job," Campbell explained. "I want guys to dominate."
The Dolphins have looked mostly listless and uninspired on the field this season. Philbin, who was 24-28 in four seasons, lost eight of his last 12 games dating to last season. Players were increasingly growing unhappy with the results.
"I think it was something that needed to be done," Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said on a conference call with the Miami media. "I believe in our roster and I believe in this football team. ... It's been four games. I haven't seen a lot of improvement. I see the same old, same old."
Ross added that Campbell is "certainly" a candidate for Miami's permanent head-coaching job in 2016. This will be a 12-game tryout, which is a good sample size for Campbell. The former tight end played a decade in the NFL and said his biggest strength is understanding people and getting the best out of his players.
"I feel like I relate to players," Ross said. "I feel like I'm someone who understands them."
