Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff changes
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March 11, 2021
Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff changes
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced that they have promoted Danny Crossman to assistant head coach/special teams coordinator, George Godsey to co-offensive coordinator/tight ends and Eric Studesville to co-offensive coordinator/running backs. Other promotions include Charles Burks to cornerbacks coach, Austin Clark to defensive line coach, Shawn Flaherty to assistant offensive line coach, Mike Judge to assistant tight ends coach and Rob Leonard to outside linebackers coach.
Crossman is entering his third season on Miami’s staff after spending the past two years (2019-20) as special teams coordinator. During his tenure, kicker Jason Sanders has won four AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, three AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors and earned a first-team All-Pro selection in 2020. Jakeem Grant finished second in the NFL in punt return yards (330) in 2020. The Dolphins won the NFL’s 2019 Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play of the Year when punter Matt Haack threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Sanders in a win over Philadelphia. Crossman has spent 15 seasons as an NFL special teams coordinator, including stints in Carolina (2005-09), Detroit (2010-12) and Buffalo (2013-18) in addition to his time in Miami.
Godsey spent the past two seasons (2019-20) coaching Miami’s tight ends. In 2020, he oversaw a unit that was the most productive tight end group in Dolphins history, totaling 91 receptions and 1,061 receiving yards. The unit’s 11 touchdown receptions were tied for the most by a tight end group in team history. Tight end Mike Gesicki had 703 receiving yards in 2020, the fourth-most by a tight end in the NFL and the second-most by a tight end in Dolphins history. Godsey has previous offensive coordinator experience, coordinating Houston’s offense from 2015-16. He joined the Dolphins from Detroit, where he served as quarterbacks coach in 2018.
Studesville has spent the past three seasons (2018-20) in Miami as running backs coach. Entering his 25th season as an NFL coach, Studesville has spent 20 seasons coaching running backs and part of teams that have won two conference championships and one Super Bowl. In 2020, he helped second-year running back Myles Gaskin average 97.2 scrimmage yards per game, which ranked 10th in the NFL (min. five games). In his first season with the Dolphins in 2018, Studesville helped Miami’s running game improve from 24th to ninth in the NFL in yards per carry (4.68). Studesville has coached running backs for the N.Y. Giants (2001-03), Buffalo (2004-09) and Denver (2010-16) and also has experience as a run game coordinator for Buffalo (2008-09) and Miami (2018).
Burks spent the past two seasons (2019-20) as a coaching assistant with the Dolphins working with the team’s cornerbacks. He helped Miami’s defense lead the NFL in takeaways (29) and third-down defense (31.2 pct.) in 2020 while finishing sixth in scoring (21.1 points allowed per game). Burks worked closely with cornerback Xavien Howard, who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2020 by tying the franchise’s single-season interceptions record (10). It was the most interceptions by an NFL player since 2007 (Antonio Cromartie). Burks has also coached collegiately at Southeastern Oklahoma State (2014-18), Texas A&M-Commerce (2013), West Texas A&M (2012) and East Central (2011).
Clark was Miami’s outside linebackers coach in 2020. He helped the defense finish sixth in the NFL in scoring (21.1 points allowed per game) and lead the league in takeaways (29) and third-down defense (31.2 pct.). Miami had three linebackers total at least five sacks in the same season for the first time in team history. Clark joined the Dolphins after spending two seasons (2018-19) as the defensive line coach at Illinois. He also spent two seasons (2016-17) at USC, where he served as assistant defensive line and outside linebackers coach. Clark is a native of Tampa, Florida and played defensive tackle at California (2009-14).
Flaherty joined the Dolphins in 2019 as a coaching assistant and has worked with the offensive line and tight ends in his tenure with the team. He joined the Dolphins after serving as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State (2017-18), where he worked with the offensive line. Flaherty played four seasons (2013-16) on the offensive line at Towson, starting games at both right guard and center.
Judge served as a quality control coach for Miami during the past two seasons (2019-20), where he worked with the team’s offense and tight ends. In 2020, he helped the Dolphins’ tight ends unit post the most productive season by any tight end group in team history. Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen combined for 91 receptions for 1,061 yards, both team records for a tight ends unit. Prior to Miami, Judge spent 11 seasons (2008-18) at the Naval Academy, where he coached fullbacks.
Leonard is entering his third season with the Dolphins after he spent the 2020 campaign as assistant defensive line coach. He served as linebackers coach in 2019. Last year, Leonard helped the Dolphins defense finish sixth in the NFL in scoring (21.1 points allowed per game) and lead the league in takeaways (29) and third-down defense (31.2 pct.). He helped Miami win 10 games for the first time since 2016. Leonard joined the Dolphins from the N.Y. Giants, where he spent six seasons (2013-18) in a variety of roles, including defensive assistant (2013-16), assistant defensive line coach (2017) and outside linebackers coach (2018).
2021 MIAMI DOLPHINS COACHING STAFF
Brian Flores – Head Coach
Danny Crossman – Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator
Josh Boyer – Defensive Coordinator
George Godsey – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
Eric Studesville – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
Gerald Alexander – Defensive Backs
Charles Burks – Cornerbacks
Anthony Campanile – Linebackers
Austin Clark – Defensive Line
Brendan Farrell – Assistant Special Teams
Shawn Flaherty – Assistant Offensive Line
Charlie Frye – Quarterbacks
Josh Grizzard – Wide Receivers
Lemuel Jeanpierre – Offensive Line
Mike Judge – Assistant Tight Ends
Curt Kuntz – Assistant Defensive Backs
Rob Leonard – Outside Linebackers
Dave Puloka – Head Strength & Conditioning
Jim Arthur – Assistant Strength & Conditioning
