New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is a young, innovative mind who will be tasked with turning around a choppy Miami offense and getting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to reach his full potential in the years to come.
However, the 38-year-old, newly-minted leader’s first order of business is to build a cohesive staff on all three sides of the ball, one of the fatal flaws for former coach Brian Flores’ tenure with the Dolphins. As the 11th coach in franchise history embarks on building on the team’s 9-8 season, here’s a look at who could join — and be retained — on his initial staff.
Defense
This is the side of the coaching staff that could see more of a tune-up than a full-scale rebuild. Dolphins decision-makers are not requiring McDaniel keep the entire defensive staff in place but he is expected to consider retaining multiple assistants. Assistants such as defensive line coach Austin Clark, defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander and linebackers coach Anthony Campanile are just a few names that have had pivotal roles in the development of the team’s young defensive core. Flores is reportedly a candidate for the New Orleans Saints’ opening and could potentially poach a number of assistants from his old staff.
McDaniel also has a desire to keep much of the team’s young defensive roster in place and that is continuity that would serve the team well. The Dolphins defense was one of the NFL’s best units in the second half of the season, finishing 10th in Football Outsiders’ efficiency rankings.
McDaniel is also expected to consider keeping Josh Boyer in his role as defensive coordinator, although he could look elsewhere. According to The Sun-Sentinel, McDaniel is pursuing former Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio to join him as defensive coordinator. How much McDaniel wants to alter the defense’s blitz-heavy philosophy will play a big role in his decision.
Offense
McDaniel was the mastermind of the San Francisco 49ers’ running game and will be the architect of whatever offensive scheme he brings to the Dolphins, so it will be interesting to see who he brings along to devise the creative plays that got him his first head-coaching gig.
While his career arc has mainly followed 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, McDaniel has worked in some capacity with six NFL teams, crossing paths with dozens of coaches along the way. It’s unclear whether McDaniel will also call plays in Miami — he never did so in San Francisco — but his pick for offensive coordinator is an important one in regards to week-to-week game-planning.
One potential choice is San Francisco quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, who has been with the 49ers for two stints spanning three seasons. Scangarello, 48, has experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, working under Fangio for the 2019 season. Wes Welker, who finished his second season as 49ers wide receivers coach and played his first three seasons in Miami, could also join the staff in some capacity.
Houston Texans passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton’s name has been floated because of work with players such as Andrew Luck and Justin Herbert. However, Hamilton is expected to be promoted to offensive coordinator as the Texans finalize a deal to make defensive coordinator Lovie Smith their next head coach, according to multiple reports.
Mike Munchak’s name has also been floated as a potential offensive line coach because of his renowned work coaching linemen with the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos. Munchak doesn’t have a clear connection to McDaniel but worked with Scangarello in his sole season with Denver. The Dolphins offensive line was arguably the league’s worst unit in 2021 and could benefit greatly from an experienced position coach shepherding the group.
