ITheir current owner is Wayne Huizenga and head coach is Cam Cameron.

The History Of The Dolphins

Joseph Robbie, a lawyer, was awarded the franchise for an expansion team in 1965. A contest was then held to decide on the name for the team. Names like Mariners, Mustangs, Missiles and Sharks were submitted. Eventually the name Dolphins was chosen as the winner. Their first game was in 1966 at their original home stadium The Orange Bowl, against the Oakland Raiders which they lost 23-14. They had four unsuccessful seasons till Coach Don Shula joined them in 1970, the same year they became a part of the NFL.

The Best Years – 1970’s

Under Coach Don Shula, the Dolphins became a very successful team. Their season records improved and they also advanced to the Super Bowl three seasons in a row. In 1971, they won the AFC Championship. In the Super Bowl the same year they lost to the Dallas Cowboys.

1972 was an even better year for the Dolphins. They won every regular season game to score a perfect NFL season record. They won two playoffs and to top it all, they won the Super Bowl that year by beating the Washington Redskins 14-7. They repeated the feat next year when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII.

In 1974, the Dolphins reached the playoffs again but suffered a terrible defeat in the hands of the Oakland Raiders which marked the end of a successful era. It was only eight years later that they won their next playoff game.

In the 80’s and 90’s the Dolphins won two AFC Championships and six AFC West titles. They had no more luck in the Super Bowl though. In fact they lost Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins in 1982 and again in 1984 to the San Francisco 49ers.

Retired Numbers Of The Dolphins

The Dolphins have retired only three jersey numbers in honor of their players.

12 – Bob Griese- Quarterback (1967-1980)
39 – Larry Csonka – Fullback (1968-1974)
13 – Dan Marino – Quarterback (1983-1999)

Their most successful and longest serving coach was Don Shula from 1970-1995. Their current coach Cam Cameron took over in January 2007. The Dolphins home stadium is the Dolphins Stadium in Miami. It was also known as Joe Robbie Stadium and Pro Player Stadium. It is a lacrosse, hockey, soccer and football stadium in Miami Gardens.