MIAMI -- Tony Sparano has been fired as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the third dismissal of an NFL coach in the past two weeks.

Owner Stephen Ross also plans to hire Carl Peterson, former president of the Kansas City Chiefs, to fill the role of executive vice president of football operations once held by Bill Parcells, team sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, who was at the news conference with Ross, will stay on board in some capacity, the source told Mortensen.

However, Peterson told Mortensen that he has no plans to join the Dolphins in an official capacity.

"Steve Ross is a very dear friend. I work with him on our project with FanVision and, yes, there are football-related matters that I am more than happy to discuss with my friend," Peterson told Mortensen, "but I do not anticipate any job as described in the (ESPN) report."

The move came Monday, one day after the Dolphins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles to fall to 4-9. The defeat ended a recent surge by the Dolphins after they lost their first seven games.

With two other teams already in the market for a new coach, Ross didn't want to wait any longer to start shopping. Sparano's dismissal came hours after the Kansas City Chiefs fired coach Todd Haley. Jacksonville fired coach Jack Del Rio on Nov. 29.

After barely escaping the offseason with his job, Tony Sparano didn't even last the full 2011 season as Dolphins coach. Andrew Weber/US Presswire

Todd Bowles, who had been Miami's assistant head coach and secondary coach, will be the interim head coach for the final three games, starting Sunday at Buffalo. Ross said Ireland will remain as general manager and take part in the coaching search.

The Dolphins are assured of their third consecutive losing season, the longest such streak since the 1960s. They'll miss the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years.

"The results speak for themselves," Ross said at a hastily called news conference. "We're looking to becoming a winning organization, and I thought this was the best time to make the change and let us go in a direction that will allow us to become that."

Ross is expected to pursue a coach with star power. Among those mentioned as possible candidates are Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher and Jon Gruden.

"I'd like to find a young Don Shula if that's possible," Ross said with a smile.

Joining Ross at the news conference was Ireland, who hired Sparano in Miami and also worked with him in Dallas.

"It's a difficult day for me," Ireland said. "He's a friend of mine. He has been a colleague of mine from before we got here together."