After an almost three-week long search, the Miami Dolphins have finally found their new general manager.
The Dolphins announced the hiring of Dennis Hickey late Sunday morning.
Hickey will oversee all aspects of football operations, reporting directly to owner Stephen Ross. Head Coach Joe Philbin will continue to oversee his coaching staff and report directly to Ross as well.
"I am excited that Dennis Hickey is our new General Manager," Ross said. "When we started the search, I outlined qualities that I was looking for in this position. These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe, demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria and I'm looking forward to having him get started."
Hickey, who worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the past 18 years, was the director of player personnel for the past three. He spent six seasons as director of college scouting before that.
The 43-year-old worked with then-GM Mark Dominik to oversee the Darrelle Revis trade as well as wideout Vincent Jackson and safety Dashon Goldson signings. He will replace Jeff Ireland, who held the GM position at Miami for six years and parted ways with the organization on Jan. 7.
Interesting enough, Hickey didn't interview for Tampa Bay's vacant position earlier this month. The Bucs would go on to hire Jason Licht.
Miami's hiring comes after front runner Ray Farmer of the Cleveland Browns declined a second interview last week. Candidates Nick Caserio (New England Patriots exec) and Lake Dawson (Tennessee Titans VP) also reportedly turned down offers over the weekend.
"I turned it down because it wasn't an ideal fit for my family and me," Dawson told Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. "Stephen (Ross) is a great owner, passionate and wants to win, but the details of the offer didn't align with my vision."
The Dolphins lost their last two games of the regular season, eliminating them from the postseason for the fifth straight year.
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
