MIAMI DOLPHINS ANNOUNCE UPDATES TO COACHING AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENTS
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January 12, 2016
MIAMI DOLPHINS ANNOUNCE UPDATES TO COACHING AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENTS
MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins announced that Vance Joseph has been named defensive coordinator, Matt Burke linebackers coach, Shane Day tight ends coach, Chris Foerster offensive line coach and Shawn Jefferson wide receivers coach. In addition, Eric Stokes will now serve as senior personnel executive.
A former NFL cornerback, Vance Joseph brings 11 years of experience coaching defensive backs at the NFL level. He spent the past two seasons (2014-15) as the defensive backs coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, where he helped the team lead the league with 41 interceptions and limit opposing passers to the lowest passer rating (77.4) in the NFL during those two seasons. During Joseph’s tenure in Cincinnati, the Bengals were the only team to have more interceptions (41) than passing touchdowns allowed (36). Cincinnati also led the league in interception percentage (3.3 percent) and touchdown percentage (2.9) and ranked fifth in fewest yards allowed per attempt (6.60) during that span. In 2015, the Bengals ranked second in the league in fewest points allowed, surrendering just 17.4 points per contest. The defense intercepted 21 passes, the third-best mark in the league.
As the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans from 2011-13, Joseph helped make major improvement to Houston’s secondary. He inherited the NFL’s worst pass defense (267.5 yards allowed per game) and, in one season, improved the unit to No. 3 (189.7 yards allowed per game) in the NFL. The Texans led the league in opponent completion percentage (51.9) by nearly two points and were second in opponent passer rating (69.0). Prior to Houston, Joseph spent six seasons (2005-10) on the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff, including five years as the team’s defensive backs coach. He also coached defensive backs at Wyoming, Colorado and Bowling Green. Joseph was a three-year letterman at Colorado where he played quarterback and running back for the Buffaloes. He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1995 and played defensive back for two years with the Jets (1995) and Indianapolis Colts (1996), starting six games and recording two interceptions.
Matt Burke spent the past seven years as an NFL linebackers coach, working with the position group in Cincinnati (2014-15) and Detroit (2009-13). He also spent five years with the Tennessee Titans where he served as an administrative assistant (2004-05) and defensive assistant/quality control coach (2006-08). Burke came to Cincinnati from the Lions, where he spent five seasons as the linebackers coach. In 2013, he helped lead a Lions defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run. Burke spent five years with the Tennessee Titans as an administrative assistant and defensive assistant. He was working primarily with linebackers in 2008 when the Titans posted a 13-3 mark, the best record in the NFL and tied for the winningest season in franchise history. Burke also spent time coaching at Harvard, Boston College and Bridgton Academy in Maine.
Shane Day arrives in Miami after two seasons (2014-15) as the assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins where he worked with Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster in 2014. Prior to Washington, Day was the quarterbacks coach at Connecticut for two seasons and coached quarterbacks for the Chicago Bears from 2010-11. Day also spent three seasons on the offensive staff with the San Francisco 49ers (2007-09) as an offensive quality control coach. He worked with the team’s quarterbacks in 2007, running backs in 2008 and offensive line in 2009. Previous coaching stops for Day include the University of Michigan and Auburn Riverside High School in Auburn, Wash. A wide receiver at Rhode College in Memphis, Tenn., Day was a two-sport athlete, also playing baseball. He graduated from Kansas State in 1999 with a degree in English.
Chris Foerster (pronounced FURR-stir) brings 23 years of NFL experience to Miami, including 20 years as an NFL offensive line coach. He spent one season as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2004 and returns to Miami from San Francisco, where he was the 49ers’ offensive line coach in 2015. Throughout his lengthy coaching career, Foerster has mentored six players that were selected to 15 Pro Bowls – center Jeff Christy (2000), center Tony Mayberry (1996-99), guard Randall McDaniel (1993, 1995, 2000), tackle Jonathan Ogden (2005-07), tackle Joe Staley (2015) and tackle Trent Williams (2012-14). Foerster came to San Francisco after spending five seasons (2010-14) as the offensive line coach for the Washington Redskins. Foerster worked for the 49ers (2008-09) and the Baltimore Ravens (2005-07) where he oversaw the offensive line for each team. In Baltimore, he also held assistant head coach responsibilities. Foerster was the Miami Dolphins’ offensive coordinator in 2004. He has also held coaching positions with the Indianapolis Colts (2002-03), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2001), Minnesota Vikings (1993-95), University of Minnesota (1992), Stanford (1988-91) and his alma mater, Colorado State (1982-87). Foerster played center at Colorado State, beginning his career as a walk-on before earning a scholarship as a sophomore.
Shawn Jefferson played wide receiver for 13 seasons in the NFL and spent the past 11 years coaching for the Detroit Lions (2005-12) and the Tennessee Titans (2013-15). As the wide receivers coach for the Titans the past three seasons, Jefferson mentored wide receiver Kendall Wright, who ranked 12th among AFC wide receivers in receptions (187) and receiving yards (2,202) from 2013-15. Prior to Tennessee, Jefferson spent eight seasons on the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff. As wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s position coach, Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards (7,080), receiving touchdowns (5) and receptions of 25 yards or more (70). A Jacksonville, Fla. native, Jefferson played at Central Florida from 1988-90.
Eric Stokes served as the team’s assistant general manager for the past two seasons (2014-15). He originally joined the Dolphins on May 15, 2014 after spending two seasons (2012-13) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the director of college scouting. He was responsible for coordinating and compiling the evaluations of all draft-eligible players, while overseeing the entire college scouting staff. Stokes came to the Buccaneers after 14 seasons of playing and scouting experience in the NFL. He worked 12 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks as assistant director of college scouting (2010-11), area scout (2000-01, 2005-09) and as an assistant in the pro personnel department (2002-04). Stokes played two seasons as a safety for the Seahawks after being selected in the fifth round (121st overall) of the 1997 NFL draft. He also was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 expansion draft. Stokes graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in sociology.
