Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff additions
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February 20, 2020
Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff additions
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have hired Gerald Alexander as defensive backs coach, Anthony Campanile as linebackers coach and Lemuel Jeanpierre as assistant offensive line coach. The team has also promoted Karl Dorrell to assistant head coach/wide receivers and Josh Grizzard to assistant wide receivers coach. Rob Leonard will serve as assistant defensive line coach.
Alexander is the 11th person in franchise history to both play and coach for the Dolphins. He played two games at safety for Miami in the 2011 season. Alexander spent the past three seasons as the defensive backs coach at California. Two of his defensive backs earned All-Pac-12 honors in 2019 – Camryn Bynum Jr. and Ashtyn Davis. In 2018, Alexander’s unit helped the Bears lead the Pac-12 and rank second nationally with 21 interceptions. The team also led the Pac-12 and was ninth nationally in passing defense (175.1 passing yards allowed per game).
Campanile has coached multiple position groups on both sides of the ball at the collegiate level. In 2019, Campanile served as the linebackers coach at Michigan, where he helped Khaleke Hudson and Josh Uche both earn All-Big Ten honors. Campanile spent three years (2016-18) at Boston College, where he coached defensive backs (2016-17) and added co-defensive coordinator duties in 2018. He helped six of his defensive backs earn All-ACC honors and four of them were selected in the NFL draft. Campanile also coached tight ends (2013-14) and wide receivers (2015) at Rutgers.
Jeanpierre has nine years of NFL experience – six as a player (2011-16) and three as a coach (2017-19). He most recently served as the assistant offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2018-19. Last year, Jeanpierre tutored a Raiders offensive line that was eighth in the NFL with just 29 sacks allowed, including four sack-free contests. The offensive line also helped Josh Jacobs rush for 1,150 yards, becoming the first rookie in team history to have a 1,000-yard rushing season. Two of Oakland’s offensive linemen – Trent Brown and Rodney Hudson – earned Pro Bowl honors.
Dorrell is in his second season of his second stint with the Dolphins. He was the team’s wide receivers coach in 2019 and previously served as wide receivers coach from 2008-10 and quarterbacks coach in 2011. Dorrell mentored DeVante Parker, who led all AFC wide receivers with 1,202 receiving yards in 2019, the first 1,000-yard season of his career. Parker’s total was fifth in the NFL and sixth-most in a single season in Dolphins history. Undrafted rookie Preston Williams had 32 receptions for 428 yards (13.4 avg.) and three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury. His 32 receptions were tied for the most by an NFL rookie at the time of his injury.
Grizzard is in his fourth season with the Dolphins after spending the past three years as a quality control coach. He helped Miami finish 5-4 in its final nine games during the 2019 season, including wins over division champions Philadelphia and at New England. Prior to Miami, Grizzard spent four seasons (2013-16) at Duke, where he was a graduate assistant and quality control coach working primarily with quarterbacks.
Leonard is in his second season with the Dolphins after serving as linebackers coach in 2019. He helped mentor Jerome Baker, who led the team with 124 tackles (74 solo), which was the fourth-most in the AFC in just Baker’s second NFL season. Leonard also worked with Vince Biegel, who recorded his first career sack and interception, and led the Dolphins with 13 quarterback hits.
