Mike Mularkey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mike Mularkey (born November 19, 1961 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) is the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins. He is a former Buffalo Bills head coach and offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mularkey played quarterback for Fort Lauderdale's Northeast High School. He played his college career at the University of Florida. In 1983, Mularkey was a 9th round draft pick for the San Francisco 49ers, and went on to play with the Minnesota Vikings until 1989, when he played for the Steelers for three years as a free agent.

He has a reputation for being an offense-oriented head coach with a penchant for trick plays. His skill for creating special packages to utilize multi-dimensional players such as Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El earned him the nickname "Inspector Gadget". To the chagrin of many fans, Mularkey single-handedly changed the Pittsburgh Steelers from a renowned "smashmouth" style of offense to one that relied on trickery and deceipt. After he left Pittsburgh, the Steelers quickly reverted to their traditional style of play (but continued the use of gadget plays) and soon thereafter won another Super Bowl.

Mike Mularkey started out his first campaign as Bills head coach with a record of 0-4. He rallied his team to a 9-7 record by the end of the season, however, sparked by a 6-game winning streak during which the Bills scored more points than in any other similar stretch in franchise history.

His second season in Buffalo was far less successful. Dogged by a Quarterback controversy between J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb and a series of defensive personnel problems, Mularkey led the team to a 5–11 finish and a sixth consecutive year out of the playoffs, the longest such active streak in the AFC. Mularkey's offensive schemes were touted by then General Manager Tom Donahoe, however Mularkey's schemes proved to be predictable, and the Bills finished 28th in total offense.

On January 12, 2006, Mularkey resigned as head coach of the Buffalo Bills, citing a disagreement in the direction of the organization. Nine days later, he was hired by the Miami Dolphins, a former AFC East rival, to become the offensive coordinator. Fans in Buffalo were surprised that he decided to resign, because there had been so much talk about his toughness and character.


Preceded by:
Kevin Gilbride
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinators
2001-2003
Succeeded by:
Ken Whisenhunt
Preceded by:
Gregg Williams
Buffalo Bills Head Coaches
2004–2005
Succeeded by:
Dick Jauron
Preceded by:
Scott Linehan
Miami Dolphins Offensive Coordinators
2006-current
Succeeded by:
current coordinator