Tony Sparano joins 49ers as tight end coach

Former Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano, who spent much of last season as the interim head coach for the Oakland Raiders, will be moving across the bay to join the San Francisco 49ers, according to Adam Schefter:

Former Raiders HC Tony Sparano is being hired as 49ers' TE coach, per sources. Stays right in Bay Area.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 22, 2015

Sparano has previously served as a tight ends coach with the Washington Redskins (2001), Jacksonville Jaguars (2002), and Dallas Cowboys (2003-2004). He began climbing the coaching ladder in Dallas, moving to the offensive line and running game coach in 2005-2006, then the assistant head coach and offensive line coach in 2007. The Dolphins hired him as their head coach in 2008, when he lead the team to a 10-game turn around, going 11-5 in his first season and winning the AFC East. The team fell apart after that, however, and Sparano was fired during the 2011 season.

After leaving Miami, he spent one year as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, then the last two with the Raiders where he was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach before being made the interim head coach this past season.