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Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff additions   Download PDF version

February 8, 2019

Miami Dolphins announce coaching staff additions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced 16 members of their coaching staff for the 2019 season: Jim Caldwell (assistant head coach/quarterbacks), Danny Crossman (special teams coordinator), Patrick Graham (defensive coordinator), Chad O’Shea (offensive coordinator), Josh Boyer (defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks), Karl Dorrell (wide receivers), Pat Flaherty (offensive line), George Godsey (tight ends), Marion Hobby (defensive line), Rob Leonard (linebackers), Tony Oden (safeties), Jerry Schuplinski (assistant quarterbacks), Eric Studesville (running backs), Josh Grizzard (quality control), Matt Lombardi (quality control) and Tiquan Underwood (quality control).

Along with head coach Brian Flores, the 17 coaches combine for 179 years of NFL coaching experience. The group has 19 Super Bowl rings with five different organizations – Baltimore, Denver, Indianapolis, New England and the N.Y. Giants. During those 179 seasons, the coaching staff has made 94 playoff appearances, won 79 division titles and 31 conference championships. They’ve also been part of three national championships at the collegiate level.

Caldwell comes to Miami with 17 years of NFL coaching experience, including seven seasons as a head coach for two different NFL teams. He also spent eight years as a college football head coach. In his seven seasons as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts (2009-11) and Detroit Lions (2014-17), he compiled a 62-50 (.554) regular-season record, four playoff berths, two 11-win seasons and one conference championship. Caldwell also won two Super Bowls as an assistant coach with Indianapolis (Super Bowl XLI) and Baltimore (Super Bowl XLVII). Teams he has been part of the coaching staff have qualified for the playoffs 13 times in 17 seasons.

“Jim is an incredible human being, a man of faith and a great football coach. His experience as a head coach will be invaluable for me. Jim is a great teacher, highly organized and somebody that I have a lot of respect for,” Flores said.

Crossman has been a special teams coach for all 26 years of his coaching career, including 16 seasons in the NFL. For the past 13 years, Crossman has been a special teams coordinator with Carolina (2005-09), Detroit (2010-12) and Buffalo (2013-18). In 2018, Crossman’s punt team forced opponents to start inside their own 20 on 31 occasions, which was ninth in the NFL, despite using three different punters.

“Danny and I worked under Scott O’Brien and there is a lot of familiarity from technique, fundamentals and a vernacular standpoint. Danny is full of energy and extremely good with the fundamentals. I am excited to have him,” Flores said.

Graham arrives in Miami with 10 years of NFL coaching experience and has coached in the playoffs in eight of those seasons. He has been part of teams that have won seven division titles, two conference championships and one Super Bowl (XLIX). Most recently, he was the defensive run game coordinator/inside linebackers coach for Green Bay during the 2018 season.

“Pat is a Yale guy. He’s extremely bright. He is great with the fundamentals and has very strong leadership ability. I can’t say enough good things about him. We worked together in New England and I know the type of passion he has and the way he works. We have a lot of the same core values and beliefs from a defensive standpoint,” Flores said.

O’Shea brings 16 years of NFL coaching experience to the Dolphins, having spent time with Kansas City (2003-05), Minnesota (2006-08) and New England (2009-18). In those 16 seasons, his teams have won 12 division titles, five conference championships and three Super Bowls (XLIX, LI and LIII). He spent the past 10 years (2009-18) in New England as the team’s wide receivers coach.

“Chad is extremely smart, innovative and hard working. He brings a lot of energy to practice and meetings. Chad has a great rapport with players. He has earned the trust of a lot of guys he has worked with from Randy Moss to Wes Welker to Julian Edelman. Chad has gotten the most out of his players from the 10 years I have been around him,” Flores said.

Boyer joins the Dolphins after spending 13 years (2006-18) with New England, most recently as cornerbacks coach (2012-18). During his tenure, the Patriots won 12 division titles, six AFC championships and three Super Bowls (XLIX, LI and LIII). The team went 162-46 (.779) in the regular season during Boyer’s tenure, the best record in the NFL during that span. In his 10 seasons (2009-18) as a position coach for the Patriots, he helped develop five different Pro Bowl selections and five different All-Pro honorees.

Dorrell is entering his second stint with the Dolphins after he previously served as the team’s wide receivers coach from 2008-10 and was Miami’s quarterbacks coach in 2011. He spent the past four seasons (2015-18) with the N.Y. Jets as their wide receivers coach. During that span, the Jets had five different players record at least 50 receptions in an individual season.

Flaherty has 19 years of NFL coaching experience, including 15 years as an offensive line coach. He’s been an offensive line coach for two Super Bowl-winning teams, as the New York Giants won Super Bowl XLII following the 2007 season and Super Bowl XLVI following the 2011 season. Flaherty was also the offensive line coach for Jacksonville’s 2017 run to the AFC Championship game. He has been a position coach on five division-winning teams and had four different players who have been selected to nine Pro Bowls.

Godsey has experience coaching on both sides of the football. In his eight years (2011-18) as an NFL assistant coach, Godsey has been part of seven winning seasons, five divisions titles and one AFC Championship. His teams have compiled a .617 winning percentage. He served as Houston’s offensive play-caller for three seasons as offensive coordinator (2015-16) and quarterbacks coach (2014).

Hobby has been coaching defensive linemen for Power 5 and NFL teams for more than 20 years. He also has experience as a defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at the collegiate level. He spent the past two seasons (2017-18) as Jacksonville’s defensive line coach, helping the Jaguars defense become a top five unit in both seasons. Hobby won a College Football Playoff National Championship as Clemson’s defensive line coach following the 2016 season.

Leonard spent the past six seasons (2013-18) on the N.Y. Giants staff, beginning his tenure as a defensive assistant (2013-16) before being promoted to assistant defensive line coach in 2017 and again to outside linebackers coach in 2018. A former walk-on at North Carolina State, Leonard worked his way up to a starting linebacker role in 2008, where he led the Wolfpack with 95 tackles that season.

Oden returns after spending the 2018 season as Miami’s defensive backs coach, where he helped cornerback Xavien Howard tie for the NFL lead with seven interceptions and earn his first career Pro Bowl selection. Oden has 15 years of NFL coaching experience, all with defensive backs. In four of his past six seasons, Oden’s teams have ranked in the NFL’s top five in interceptions (2013-14, 2017, 2018). He’s played an instrumental part in six players earning eight Pro Bowl selections.

Schuplinski has been part of three Super Bowl winning teams (XLIX, LI and LIII) during his six seasons (2013-18) as an NFL coach with New England. His teams have won four AFC titles and advanced to the conference championship in all six years. He spent the past three seasons (2016-18) as New England’s assistant quarterbacks coach, working closely with Tom Brady. In 2017, Brady won the league’s Most Valuable Player award after leading the NFL in passing with 4,577 yards.

Studesville returns as the team’s running backs coach after he helped the Dolphins improve from 24th to ninth in the NFL with 4.68 yards per carry in 2018, his first season with the team. Studesville has 22 years of NFL coaching experience, including 18 at the running backs position. He has been on the coaching staffs of two conference championship teams (2013 and 2015) and won Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos.

Grizzard returns to Miami for his third season with the Dolphins, having served as an offensive quality control coach in each of the past two seasons (2017-18). In 2018, he helped the Dolphins offense improve from 24th to ninth in the NFL with a 4.68 yards per carry average.

Lombardi spent the past two seasons (2017-18) at Baylor, where he served as an offensive quality control coach. In 2018, the Bears improved by six wins and won the Texas Bowl. He also spent three years at Louisville as a special teams quality control coach (2014) and graduate assistant working with tight ends (2015-16), where he helped tight end Cole Hikutini lead the team with 50 receptions and earn second-team All-ACC honors as a senior in 2016.

Underwood began his coaching career in 2018 at Lafayette College as a wide receivers coach, where he helped Nick Pearson bounce back from injury to earn second-team all-conference honors. Underwood played five seasons in the NFL with Jacksonville (2009-10), New England (2011) and Tampa Bay (2012-13) before playing three seasons (2015-17) in the Canadian Football League.

Miami Dolphins re-sign Denney   Download PDF version

February 8, 2019

Miami Dolphins re-sign Denney

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have re-signed long snapper John Denney.

Denney is the longest-tenured active Dolphins player. He just wrapped his 14th NFL season and has played in every game since making his debut in 2005. His 224 consecutive games played streak is the longest in Dolphins history and the longest active streak in the NFL. His 224 games played are second in Dolphins history behind Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Denney made four special teams tackles (one solo) in 2018.

Miami Dolphins Announce Open Application for FOOTBALL UNITES™ Project Change Scholarship   Download PDF version

February 06, 2019

Images from 2018 Recipient: Credit Miami Dolphins

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ulnd9i5h3njn8m4/AAA_Qrb0kb0cTVD82kadhZF-a?dl=0

#TeamworkAtWork #FootballUnites

Miami Dolphins Announce Open Application for FOOTBALL UNITES™ Project Change Scholarship

MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins announced the open application period for the FOOTBALL UNITES™ Project Change Scholarship. In its second year, the program identifies one high school student each year and pays for their college tuition over a four-year period. The goal of the college scholarship is to provide financial support to students who have made a commitment to leading social progress initiatives in their communities.

Requirements for the Project Change Scholarship include:

  • Maintain a GPA of 3.0.
  • Complete at least 40 hours of community service a semester in social justice programs.
  • Write an essay on what change they want to see in the community and how the scholarship will achieve that change.
  • Accepted into a community college or university.
  • Application must be submitted by March 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
  • Submit application to https://bit.ly/2TJc4WK

The Project Change Scholarship is in part of the Miami Dolphins social justice and advocacy program, FOOTBALL UNITES™, created by Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross and Miami Dolphins players during the 2017-2018 season. Through FOOTBALL UNITES™, the Dolphins are using sports as a platform to bring positive social change.

Last year’s inaugural recipient was Valicia Browne. Browne, a graduating senior from Olympic Heights Community High School in Boca, has a goal to establish medical clinics to offer reasonably priced health care in underserved communities and will be attending Florida State University this year.

Earlier this month, the Miami Dolphins also announced open application for the Nat Moore Scholarship and Vocational Endowment to provide the youth of South Florida with the financial resources needed to pursue avenues of education and training for employment readiness. Both the scholarship and the grant are expressly designed to bolster efforts to bridge a gap between receiving financial assistance and obtaining a degree or vocational diploma. For more information please visit https://bit.ly/2sYkw9f.

These efforts and initiatives align with the Miami Dolphins mission of “Teamwork at Work” — an effort to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community. In addition, the organization believes it is important to be inclusive of the diversity and aware of the intersections that make up South Florida, uniting groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities, abilities and faith around the power of football through the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program.

Miami Dolphins name Flores head coach   Download PDF version

February 4, 2019

Miami Dolphins name Flores head coach

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced Brian Flores has been named the 13th head coach in franchise history.

“Two things that stand out immediately when you meet Brian are his football intelligence and leadership skills,” General Manager Chris Grier said. “Brian is widely respected throughout the NFL. He paid his dues in New England working in personnel, on offense, defense and special teams, which helped him build a great understanding of what it takes to win. If you talk with anyone who has played for him or worked with him, you will hear about his ability to lead and get the most out of people. Brian sets a high standard for his players and coaches and we are completely aligned with our vision on how to build a successful organization.”

Flores joins the Dolphins after spending 15 years with the New England Patriots organization, where he helped the franchise win four Super Bowls – XXXIX, XLIX, LI and LIII. He spent the past eight seasons (2011-18) coaching defense and seven (2012-18) as a position coach. The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship game in all seven seasons Flores was a position coach, appeared in four Super Bowls and won three of them.

In 2018, Flores helped the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII in his first season as defensive play-caller. In that game, Flores’ defense limited the NFL’s second-highest scoring offense to just three points, tying a Super Bowl record. Under his leadership, the defense improved in several categories during the regular season. New England went from 17th in the NFL to seventh in passer rating, allowing opposing passers to compile an 85.4 rating. Much of that was attributed to creating more turnovers, as the Patriots were tied for fifth in the NFL with 28 takeaways and tied for third with 18 interceptions. They ranked 25th and tied for 18th, respectively, in those categories in 2017.

In Flores’ three years as linebackers coach (2016-18), the Patriots played in the Super Bowl all three seasons and won two of them. New England had the NFL’s best scoring defense (15.6 points allowed per game) in his first year in the role in 2016.

Flores moved to the defensive side of the ball as an assistant in 2011 and was promoted to a position coach in 2012, overseeing the safeties unit from 2012-15. As safeties coach, he helped Devin McCourty earn second-team All-Pro honors in 2013 and was part of a Patriots team that won Super Bowl XLIX at the end of the 2014 season.

In 2010, Flores served as an offensive assistant and also worked with special teams. The Patriots went 14-2 and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. The New England offense led the league in scoring with 32.4 points per game. The unit was fourth with a 5.9 yards per play average and led the NFL with a 109.8 passer rating and a league-low five interceptions. The Patriots’ kickoff return unit was among the league’s best, ranking fifth with an average starting field position of the 30.0-yard line after kickoffs. The punt return unit was second in the NFL with opponents averaging just 34.2 net yards per punt.

After a four-year playing career at Boston College, Flores joined the Patriots as a scouting assistant in 2004 and was promoted to pro scout in 2006. He then moved into coaching as a coaching assistant for New England from 2008-09.

Flores was a two-year starter at linebacker for Boston College and was part of four bowl-winning teams. He was named to the Big East All-Academic Team in 2003.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Flores attended Poly Prep in Brooklyn, where he played running back and linebacker. He graduated from Boston College with his bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in administrative studies.

Miami Dolphins sign Delaney   Download PDF version

February 1, 2019

Miami Dolphins sign Delaney

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed cornerback Dee Delaney to a reserve/futures contract.

Delaney was claimed by Miami off waivers from Jacksonville on Dec. 4, 2018. He spent one week on Miami’s active roster and the remainder of the season on the practice squad. Delaney played in two games for Jacksonville in 2018 but did not record any stats. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Jacksonville on April 20, 2018. Delaney played collegiately at Miami and The Citadel. He was a three-year starter (2014-16) at The Citadel before transferring as a graduate to Miami in 2017, where he played in nine games with six starts.

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Birthdate Exp. College Hometown Acq.
Dee Delaney CB 5-11 200 2/20/95 1 Miami (FL) ’18 Beaufort, S.C. Wai., ’18 (Jax.)

 

Miami Dolphins announce front office moves   Download PDF version

January 29, 2019

Miami Dolphins announce front office moves

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced a series of additions and promotions in their front office.  Marvin Allen has joined the organization as an assistant general manager. The team also announced the following promotions: Ron Brockington to senior national scout, J.P. Correia to player personnel scout, Adam Engroff and Anthony Hunt to co-directors of player personnel, Brandon Shore to vice president of football administration and Matt Winston to assistant director of college scouting. All of these positions will report directly to general manager Chris Grier.

Allen has spent 26 seasons scouting for NFL teams and most recently served as a national scout for Buffalo (2017-18). Prior to that, Allen was Kansas City’s director of college scouting for four seasons (2013-16), where he helped the team draft a strong foundation of core players that earned the Chiefs the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs in 2018 and a spot in the AFC Championship game. He also spent four years as an eastern regional scout with Atlanta (2009-12) and was promoted to national scout prior to his departure. Allen spent 16 seasons with New England (1993-2008), including his last 12 as an area scout (1997-2008). He played four seasons at running back for New England (1988-91) after he was an 11th-round pick (294th overall) by the Patriots in the 1988 NFL draft.

Brockington has spent 13 seasons as a scout for the Dolphins (2006-18) and was most recently promoted to national scout in 2016. Prior to that, he spent nine years (1997-2005) in the personnel department of the New York Jets, being promoted to scout in 1999. Brockington was a three-year letterman (1994-96) at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where he played running back.

Correia joined the Dolphins in 2018 as a scouting assistant. He previously worked as a pro personnel intern for the N.Y. Giants during the 2017 season and served as assistant director of football operations at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst from 2015-17.

Engroff has spent 20 years with the Dolphins and just finished his third season as the team’s director of college scouting, having been promoted to the position in 2016. He previously spent four seasons (2012-15) as a national scout and nine seasons as a regional scout (2003-11). Engroff joined the Dolphins in 1999 in the team’s college scouting department. He also worked in football operations for the Orange Bowl Committee (1998-99) and the Prep Recruiting Network (1997-98).

Hunt has been with the Dolphins for 25 seasons and just wrapped up his sixth year as director of pro personnel after being promoted to the position in 2013. He previously served as a national scout, overseeing the Eastern half of the United States from 2009-12. Hunt was a regional scout for the team from 2003-08 and the club’s BLESTO representative from 2000-02. Hunt served as a scouting assistant from 1996-99 after beginning his career as a personnel intern from 1994-95.

Shore will enter his 10th season with the Dolphins after joining the organization as a football administration assistant in 2010. He was promoted to the finance and legal department and later oversaw human resources for the entire organization (2015-16). For the last three years (2016-18), Shore has served as senior director of football administration. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Elon University and was named the school’s Young Alumnus of the Year in 2017. Shore also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

Winston just wrapped up his 11th season with the Dolphins and third (2016-18) as a national scout. He was promoted to the role following five seasons as a college scout (2011-15), where he focused on the Southwest region of the country. Winston served as a pro scout in 2010 and joined the Dolphins in 2008 as a scouting assistant. Prior to that, Winston was the director of football operations at FIU in 2007 and worked as a college scouting intern for the Houston Texans in 2006.

Miami Dolphins Announce Open Application Nat Moore Scholarship & Grant Endowment Program   Download PDF version

January 18, 2019

Images from 2018 Recipient: Credit Miami Dolphins

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ml7c9ed0af5pc0l/AAAE2OtNs94OHWFBfShdrXtGa?dl=0

#TeamworkAtWork

Miami Dolphins Announce Open Application Nat Moore Scholarship & Grant Endowment Program

MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins announced the open application period for the Nat Moore Scholarship & Grant Endowment Program. In its second year, the program’s mission is to provide the youth of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties with the financial resources needed to pursue avenues of education and training for employment readiness. Both the scholarship and the grant are expressly designed to bolster efforts to bridge a gap between receiving financial assistance and obtaining a degree or vocational diploma. Requirements for the scholarship and grant are below, with further information in the links provided.

Nat Moore Scholarship – award amount $10,000 ($2,500 per year for four years)

  1. Must be a high school senior graduating from a Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Monroe county high school on or before June of the application year.
  2. Minimum high school grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 grade scale, excluding home studies).
  3. Demonstrate financial need to attend college.
  4. Application deadline is Feb. 28 by 11:59 pm EST. No late submissions will be reviewed or accepted.
  5. Website link to apply https://bit.ly/2z2usBZ

Nat Moore Vocational Grant – maximum award amount $3,500 (towards cost of entire program)

  1. Must be a high school senior graduating from a Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Monroe county high school in or before June of the application year.
  2. Minimum high school grade point average of 2.5 (on a 4.0 grade scale, excluding home studies).
  3. Demonstrate financial need.
  4. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  5. Website link to apply https://bit.ly/2MdK7DP

The Nat Moore Scholarship and Vocational Endowment is in its second year under the Miami Dolphins Foundation. Last year, five graduating seniors were the first recipients awarded the fund and were selected through an application process that showcased community service, leadership, financial need and academic standing. This initiative aligns with the Miami Dolphins mission of “Teamwork at Work” — an effort to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community.

The Fund is a continuation of the Nat Moore Foundation, which started in 1998 to serve the youth of South Florida through education. The Miami Dolphins Foundation through the Nat Moore Scholarship Fund is committed to raising $10 million in 10 years to fund educational opportunities for South Florida youth. This commitment will foster the next generation of industry and community leaders by providing students who are achieving academically and who give back to their communities with the opportunity to attain their educational goals.

Miami Dolphins sign Rudock   Download PDF version

January 12, 2019

Miami Dolphins sign Rudock

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced they have signed quarterback Jake Rudock to a reserve/futures contract.

Rudock originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick (191st overall) by Detroit in the 2016 NFL draft. He played in three games for the Lions in 2017, completing 3-of-5 passes (60.0 pct.) for 24 yards and spent several stints on the practice squad in his three seasons (2016-18) with Detroit. Rudock started one season at Michigan (2015), where he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He transferred to Michigan after spending the first four years of his collegiate career at Iowa (2011-14). Rudock is a native of Weston, Florida and attended nearby St. Thomas Aquinas high school, where he was part of three state-championship-winning teams in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Name Pos. Hgt. Wgt. Birthdate Exp. College Hometown Acq.
Jake Rudock QB 6-3 212 1/21/93 3 Michigan ’16 Weston, Fla. FA, ‘19

 

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