DEVELOPING: Dolphins Fire OL Coach Turner And Trainer O'Neill As Incognito Fallout Continues...

You figured something like this would be happening sooner or later...

The buck stops where...???

Apparently, the Dolphins offensive line as the team has fired OL coach Jim Turner and head trainer Kevin O'Neill as part of the Richie Incognito fallout...

Here's part of the statement by the team:

“The language and behavior as described in the Ted Wells report are against the core values of our organization,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement. “After receiving the report, I conducted my own internal review of the facts to determine the appropriate steps for our organization. Jim Turner and Kevin O’Neill are good people who care a great deal about their profession and the players whom they serve, but both exhibited poor judgment at times which led me to this conclusion. As owner, I know firsthand of the high-character and dedicated professionals in our building. I believe in our team and know the hard work and sacrifices they make every day on the field and in the community.”

O'Neill had been with the team for 18 years and Turner for 2. Ross went on to call the entire saga a "teaching moment."

Here's head coach Joe Philbin's statement:

“As the Head Coach of the Miami Dolphins, it is my responsibility to create an atmosphere that allows each player the opportunity to reach his full potential. As Stephen Ross said, and I agree, the language and behavior outlined in Ted Wells’ report was disappointing and unacceptable. Since I first arrived in Miami, it has been my goal to have a team which honors our proud tradition and represents our fan base the right way both on and off the field. It is not possible for a team to accomplish its goals when the fundamental values of respect are violated. That ultimately rests on my shoulders and I will be accountable moving forward for making sure that we emphasize a team-first culture of respect towards one another."

The HQ still wonders how Philbin was unaware...

Here's WSVN's coverage from when the Wells Report was initially released...
WSVN-TV - 7NEWS Miam Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco

USC fires head coach Kevin O'Neill

Kevin O'Neill (photo courtesy USC)

LOS ANGELES - Even defeating Utah couldn't save Kevin O'Neill's basketball coaching job.

University of Southern California athletic director Pat Haden apparently had had enough, firing O'Neill after going 1-14 on the road - the one victory came on a 76-59 victory at Utah on Saturday. O'Neill started this season 7-10, and assistant coach Bob Cantu will serve as head coach in the interim.

O'Neill had a 48-65 overall record in four years at USC, and went 6-26 during the 2012 campaign. USC has lost 9 of its last 13 games, including a losing streak of 5 games during that stretch.

Haden said the following in a release posted on USC's website:

"I would like to thank Kevin O'Neill for his four years of service to USC. He took over a program under difficult circumstances because of our NCAA issues and, despite that, he was able to do some good things. It was hard for me to evaluate him as a head coach until this year when he had enough players and veterans to compete.  As the season progressed, it became evident to me that we needed new leadership in our men's basketball program.  Despite a nice road win in our last game, I felt it was best to make a change now, with most of the Pac-12 season still ahead of us, in order to re-energize our team. I feel confident that Bob Cantu will capably guide our team on an interim basis while we search for a new coach."

The university reached out to O'Neill for a statement, and he said the following:

"I enjoyed my four years at USC.  It is a special place.  I enjoyed the people I worked with, the players I coached and our fans.  I thank USC for allowing me to guide their program.  I couldn't be more proud to work anywhere. I would encourage all of our recruits to honor their commitment to USC and help build the Trojan program in the right direction."

USC is coming off of several NCAA sanctions, going back to O.J. Mayo and Mike Garrett, and the Trojans are working hard to improve their image. Haden thinks Cantu will do just that.

We'll see. It's still Pac-12 basketball.