Miami Dolphins add Joe Kasper from Eagles Defensive Staff to Coach Safeties

Now that Vic Fangio has officially signed with the Miami Dolphins, he has begun the important task of building his defensive coaching staff. It started with Fangio poaching L.A. Charger’s defensive coordinator (and former Miami Dolphins safety) Renaldo Hill to be his defensive pass-game coordinator and now the Dolphins have brought in a new safeties coach.

Kasper spent the 2021 season with the Philadelphia Eagles as a defensive quality control coach. Prior to that, he worked as a graduate assistant with the Duke University football team. While at Duke, he helped with quarterbacks (2020) and defensive backs (2018-2019).

He was a receivers coach before that with John Carrol University (2017) and was a defensive backs coach with Mentor High School in Ohio (2015-2016).

Kasper played safety for the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets of the Ohio Athletic Conference, (a Division III collegiate program) graduating in 2015. While playing, Kasper worked for the Cleveland Browns from 2013-2014 as a player personnel and development assistant. Interestingly enough, this coincides with McDaniel’s time there as a receiver’s coach.

Like Mike McDaniel, Kasper seems to have taken the road less traveled on his path to becoming a coach in the NFL. Fangio has several connections with the Eagles coaching staff and even spent two weeks helping them prepare for the SB. Kasper must have made a positive impression with the Eagle’s coaching staff, Vic Fangio, and likely McDaniel as well.

The Dolphins currently have three safeties under contract for the 2023 season; Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, and Verone McKinley. Eric Rowe (UFA), Clayton Fejedelem (UFA), and Elijah Campbell (RFA) are all impending free agents.

Holland is the obvious headliner of that group and should fit Fangio’s scheme like a glove. Another interesting name for this position group (don’t come after me) is Byron Jones. While it’s very possible, maybe even likely, that he will be cut after missing all of 2022, he is currently the Dolphins’ most experienced safety.

On top of that, he played split-field safety and corner under Rod Marinelli for the Dallas Cowboys. Marinelli is known for running a primarily cover-2 (zone) scheme. It differs from what Fangio likes to do, but we will likely see some overlap with the concepts and hybrid zone calls from the Dolphins in 2023.

If Holland has the kind of breakout season everyone is expecting under Fangio, Kasper could find himself climbing the coaching ladder faster than some might expect. Either way, it will be exciting to see how the safeties develop under him for the 2023 season.