MIAMI DOLPHINS Coach resigns his job

The players were sorry to see coach Dave Wannstedt leave despite 1-8 record.
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- As linebacker Zach Thomas and cornerback Sam Madison spoke, their voices broke with emotion, and general manager Rick Spielman talked while fighting back tears.
The topic of conversation was coach Dave Wannstedt who had resigned. He went just 1-8 this season with the Miami Dolphins, but they were nonetheless sorry to see him go.
"To lose a guy like that, it's tough," Madison said. "It's love."
Wannstedt said Tuesday he resigned because relentless speculation about his future had become a distraction for the team. Defensive coordinator Jim Bates was promoted to interim coach, and management immediately began a search for a coach in 2005.
A wave of injuries and the retirement of running back Ricky Williams contributed to this year's transformation of the long-proud franchise into a laughingstock with the NFL's worst record.
"Dave got dealt a bad hand," Thomas said. "A lot of things have been uncontrollable. It just snowballed."
Blew two leads
The coaching change came during the Dolphins' bye week, and two days after perhaps their most wrenching defeat yet. They twice blew leads against the Arizona Cardinals, who scored in the final seconds Sunday to win 24-23 and break a 17-game road losing streak.
On Monday, Wannstedt requested a meeting with owner Wayne Huizenga and said he had decided to step down. Huizenga wanted Wannstedt to coach the rest of the season but reluctantly accepted the resignation, team president Eddie Jones said.
"I have too much respect for the players and owner of this organization to allow myself to be the focal point for the remainder of the season," Wannstedt said at a news conference. "I told the players today the team must come first. This is what's best for our team."
Attendance has been in steep decline, but while Wannstedt's departure gave fans cause for celebration, the mood was gloomy at the team complex. Defensive end Jason Taylor reacted sharply to a question about Wannstedt quitting.
Taylor's view
"Let's get this straight: Dave didn't quit," Taylor said. "Ricky Williams quit. Dave stepped aside. There's a big difference. Anybody who watched Dave on Sunday saw how much it hurt him. That's not a man who quit. That's a beaten man, a man who has been through a lot the last two or three years."
Williams took that criticism in stride.
"The way I look at it is I consider a lot of the guys in Miami friends. If everyone is using me as a scapegoat, I'm happy for that. Really. If it makes all the players feel better, then I'm all for that," he told The Palm Beach Post in a phone interview Tuesday.
Speculation regarding the next coach began weeks ago. Mentioned as possible coaching candidates have been former Florida Gators coach Steve Spurrier, LSU's Nick Saban, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.