
I am hopeful that our Miami Dolphins choose a new head coach for this team sooner than later so that we can get along with the business of hiring assistants before the open market has been picked clean. I am even more hopeful that the team actually hires the right man for the job this time, although there is still much debate as to if we already had that person in place before the team fired Brian Flores. Either way that is now water under the bridge and we must move on as the beaten-down fan base that we are and see if what comes next offers us any hope for the future. Everyone cross their fingers or perform whatever other ritual you do to bring good luck because after what seems like forever since this team had proper direction we need all the luck we can get.
So here’s the list of candidates that the team has looked at/interviewed thus far-
Brian Daboll- Daboll is a big fan favorite to win the job and currently holds the position of offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. Daboll’s highest level as a player was at the University of Rochester where he played safety but had his playing career cut short due to a neck injury suffered during the final game of his Junior season. Daboll went on to graduate with an economics degree. Despite being a defensive player and beginning his career on the defensive side of the ball most of Daboll’s experience coaching is on the offensive side of the ball. Many fans will remember Daboll as the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins for one season under the late Tony Sparano in 2011. Another plus for Brian in many fans’ eyes is that he served as Tua Tagovailoa’s quarterback coach and offensive coordinator during his freshman year at Alabama. Daboll’s coaching resume mostly consists of either an offensive positions coach or offensive coordinator.
-Daboll’s coaching career-
- Volunteer Assistant- William & Mary 1997
- Graduate Assistant- Michigan State 1998-1999
- Defensive Assitant- New England Patriots 2000-2001
- Wide Receivers Coach- New England Patriots 2002-2006
- Quarterbacks Coach- New York Jets 2007-2008
- Offensive Coordinator- Cleveland Browns 2009-2010
- Offensive Coordinator- Miami Dolphins 2011
- Offensive Coordinator- Kansas City Chiefs 2012
- Tight Ends Coach- New England Patriots 2013-2016
- Offensive Coordinator & Quarterbacks Coach- Alabama 2017
- Offensive Coordinator- Buffalo Bills 2018-Present
Leslie Frazier- Leslie Frazier is currently serving as the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. Frazier played in the NFL for five seasons for the Chicago Bears, including the 1985 season when they won the Super Bowl with what was possibly the most dominant defense of all time. Frazier was a cornerback and led the team that season with six interceptions. Unfortunately, his career was cut short due to a knee injury that he suffered in the second half of the 85 Super Bowl returning a punt. His coaching resume consists mostly of defensive coordinator along with one of many fans prerequisite for the next coach, prior head coaching experience.
-Frazier’s coaching career-
- Head Coach- Trinity International University 1988-1996
- Defensive Backs Coach- University of Illinois 1997-1998
- Defensive Backs Coach- Philadelphia Eagles 1999-2002
- Defensive Coordinator- Cincinnati Bengals 2003-2004
- Defensive Assistant- Indianapolis Colts 2005
- Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Backs Coach- Indianapolis Colts 2006
- Defensive Coordinator- Minnesota Vikings 2007
- Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator- Minnesota Vikings 2008-2010
- Interim Head Coach- Minnesota Vikings 2010
- Head Coach- Minnesota Vikings 2011-2013
- Defensive Coordinator- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2014-2015
- Secondary Coach- Baltimore Ravens 2016
- Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator- Buffalo Bills 2017-Present
Dan Quinn- Quinn currently holds the position of defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Quinn’s playing career took him through college at Salisbury State University (now Salisbury University) where he played and started all four years, from 1990 to 1993 as a defensive lineman. Quinn is another coach that will be familiar to fans as he served as the Dolphins defensive line coach in 2005 and 2006 under then head coach Nick Saban. He also checks the box as a previous head coach having led the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020.
-Quinn’s coaching career-
- Defensive Line Coach- William & Mary 1994
- Defensive Line Coach- VMI 1995
- Defensive Line Coach- Hofstra 1996-1999
- Defensive Coordinator & Defensive Line Coach- Hofstra 2000
- Defensive Quality Control Coach- San Francisco 49ers 2001-2002
- Defensive Line Coach- San Francisco 49ers 2003-2004
- Defensive Line Coach- Miami Dolphins 2005-2006
- Defensive Line Coach- New York Jets 2007-2008
- Assistant Head Coach & Defensive Line Coach- Seattle Seahawks 2009-2010
- Defensive Coordinator & Defensive Line Coach- Florida 2011-2012
- Defensive Coordinator- Seattle Seahawks 2013-2014
- Head Coach- Atlanta Falcons 2015-2020
- Defensive Coordinator- Dallas Cowboys 2021 to Present
Mike McDaniel- McDaniel is currently the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. Mike is also another fan favorite to win the Dolphins job. McDaniels playing career ended in college where he played four years for Yale as a wideout. McDaniels left Yale with a degree in history. He began his coaching career in Denver after then Broncos’ head coach Mike Shanahan hired him as inturn. Mike Shanahan is of course the father of McDaniels current boss, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan. Despite only holding the position of offensive coordinator for one season McDaniel is already widely respected around the NFL as a top offensive coach with an innovative style.
-McDaniels coaching career-
- Intern- Denver Broncos 2005
- Offensive Assistant- Houston Texans 2006-2008
- Running Backs Coach- Sacramento Mountian Lions (United Football League-defunct) 2009-2010
- Offensive Assistant- Washington Redskins 2011-2012
- Wide Receivers Coach- Washington Redskins 2013
- Wide Receivers Coach- Cleveland Browns 2014
- Offensive Assitant- Atlanta Falcons 2015-2016
- Run Game Coordinator- San Francisco 49ers 2017-2020
- Offensive Coordinator- San Francisco 49ers 2021-Present
Kellen Moore- Moore is currently the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Moore has the shortest time as a coach at any level of any of the top candidates. Unlike some of the others, he does though have some experience playing in the NFL. He managed to hang around the league for six seasons, from 2012 to 2017, where he served as a backup at times and/or bounced back and forth on and off practice squads. He managed to play in three games at the NFL level, starting two of those games. As a player, Kellen was with the Detroit Lions from 2012 to 2014 and then with the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017. After playing for the Cowboys he immediately was hired on as a coach by Dallas and has never worked for another team in that capacity. In only his second season coaching, he was promoted to offensive coordinator, and now after only four-seasons coaching at any level, he is being considered as a head coach at the NFL level. Given his very short period of time coaching one would have to guess that Moore has impressed some people around the league to even be mentioned as a head coach candidate so early on in his career.
-Moore’s coaching career-
- Quarterbacks Coach- Dallas Cowboys 2018
- Offensive Coordinator- Dallas Cowboys 2019-Present
Vance Joseph- Joseph is currently serving as the Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator. Vance’s most recent experience as a player was at the NFL level where he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 1995. He played one season with the Jets and the 1996 season with the Indianapolis Colts. He started only six games in his short NFL career but managed to come down with two interceptions in those six contests. Fans will also remember Joseph as the Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2016 under former head coach Adam Gase. Vance also checks the box as a former head coach at the NFL level.
-Joseph’s coaching career-
- Graduate Assistant- Colorado 1999-2001
- Defensive Backs Coach- Colorado 2002-2003
- Defensive Backs Coach- Bowling Green 2004
- Assistant Defensive Backs Coach- San Francisco 49ers 2005
- Defensive Backs Coach- San Francisco 49ers 2006-2010
- Defensive Backs Coach- Houston Texans 2011-2013
- Defensive Backs Coach- Cincinnati Bengals 2014-2015
- Defensive Coordinator- Miami Dolphins 2016
- Head Coach- Denver Broncos 2017-2018
- Defensive Coordinator- Arizona Cardinals 2019 to Present