The Phinsider - Dolphins coaching search 2016 updates and rumors: Adam Gase announced as new head coachA Miami Dolphins community, established November 18, 2006https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49617/phinsider-fav.png2016-01-29T12:27:16-05:00http://www.thephinsider.com/rss/stream/104661592016-01-29T12:27:16-05:002016-01-29T12:27:16-05:00Dolphins OC Christensen sees talent in Tannehill, offense
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Dolphins introduced their new offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen on Thursday. He seems to like what he sees in team quarterback Ryan Tannehill.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> new coaching staff was deliberate in their early statements about the state of the team. Head coach Adam Gase, hired to be a "guru" to quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span>, pointed out that he had not had time to study Tannehill's game before the coach was introduced at his initial press conference. After a few weeks of tape study, the coaching staff seems a little more open to talking about Tannehill, and what they will be looking for from him.</p>
<p>The team introduced new offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen on Thursday, and he opened up about what he has seen from Tannehill in game film, and during a brief breakfast.</p>
<p>"I really enjoyed watching him," Christensen said. "I haven't seen him a bunch. I visited with him and his wife when I came in for the interview, and I had a great breakfast with them and as much you can do in an hour there. I've been extremely impressed with him. He's been extremely productive and he's played some awfully long stretches of good football. He seems like a guy that has all of the things that you're looking for. A guy who wants to be good, who has it in perspective and [I'm] really looking forward to seeing him on the field a little bit."</p>
<p>Christensen went on to explain that the relationship between an offensive coordinator and quarterback is critical, because quarterback is the loneliest position on the field. "From every level of coaching that I've ever been at and especially this level, I think that's a lonely position," Christensen explained. "That's a lonely position in this league. It's lonely in the locker room, it's lonely on the street, it's hard to find friends and it's just a unique position. I've always felt like the number one job that I have is to be an ally, to be a safe place where a guy can talk and communicate and have a relationship where you can bounce things off and generate ideas. I've always thought the quarterback position is unique that way and I've always approached it that way."</p>
<p>What will the new offense look like under Christensen and Gase, who will retain the offensive play calling as a head coach? According to Christensen, the goal would be to have a no-huddle, up-tempo type of offense, similar to what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>, where Christensen was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for <span>Peyton Manning</span> and <span>Andrew Luck</span>. "I really enjoyed those years in Indy when we were aggressive," Christensen explained. "We were no huddle and the players had fun. That's a big thing, that the players enjoy the system. It's hard to keep players interested and it keeps getting harder and harder to keep players interested. I think the no-huddle and this style of play where you're mixing it up and you have the ability to...I think Chicago last year led the league in time of possession...but you're also taking shots and there's kind of new stuff and you're keeping them stimulated. I would say this is the way I like to play. We did it for an awful lot of years in Indy and it's kind of fun. There is always something new. There are always new codes, there are always new concepts and it's a wide open, you spread them out, and you still can pop some runs in there, etc. But I do, I like this style of play."</p>
<p>Christensen did not talk just about Tannehill. He also mentioned the connection he has with Gase, "It's kind of a fun challenge for me and also just to support a young coach who's getting his first crack at the head job. I believe in what he believes in, I believe in how he treats people. I believe in his philosophy and it was a chance for me to come in kind of as a seasoned guy, an old guy and be a part of that."</p>
<p>The two coaches first met when Manning moved from the Colts to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a>, and from Christensen to Gase, who was the quarterbacks coach and later offensive coordinator for Denver. "Peyton left Indy and went to Denver and Adam was the quarterback coach, so we had multiple conversations just offensively and drill work and dealing with Peyton," Christensen explained. "We kind of started a professional relationship that way that kind of turned into a friendship and kind of kept going in both areas. We just talked a lot of football and enjoyed the more you're around Peyton and his uniqueness. The Manning stories were certainly fun to sit at the combine and share and exchange. He is really a sharp young guy who's fun to talk ball with. His mind is always going and I really enjoy that. And I'm looking forward to more of that here."</p>
<p>"They have some playmakers and there is some youth," Christensen said of the offense as a whole. "It's a young team and it seems to me it's a hungry culture. They want to win. I look at it they've kind of been a .500 bunch and we've got to go find a way to win two, three more games and get up to that 10 or 11 and get ourselves in the playoffs and anything can happen. I think it's going to be a great challenge, but there are some good young players, which is always fun. We'll have to fill in some gaps and just keep developing and I think we can get there."</p>
<p>Miami's offense struggled throughout the year, in part because of a lack of commitment to the running game from former offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. The offensive line struggled all season to open running lanes and to pass block, despite a Pro Bowl left tackle in <span>Branden Albert</span> and a Pro Bowl center in Mike Pouncey. Tannehill has been sacked more in his four seasons than any other quarterback in the league, but he has not missed a game over that span. The Dolphins have talent, including wide receivers <span>Jarvis Landry</span> and <span>DeVante Parker</span>, running backs <span>Lamar Miller</span> (if he is re-signed) and <span>Jay Ajayi</span>, along with Tannehill, Pouncey, and Albert. It will be up to Christensen to now find a way to turn those individual talents into a high powered offense.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/29/10870668/dolphins-offensive-coordinator-clyde-christensen-tannehill-has-all-ofKevin Nogle2016-01-23T19:56:14-05:002016-01-23T19:56:14-05:00Danny Barrett hired as Dolphins RB coach
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<p>The Miami Dolphins have added another member to their coaching staff with the hiring of Danny Barrett to serve as the team's running backs coach.</p> <p>The Miami Dolphins added a running backs coach on Saturday, hiring Danny Barrett for the position. Barrett had been the interim head coach for the University of Central Florida the last four games of 2015, replacing George O'Leary who retired during the season. Barrett, a native of Boynton Beach, Florida, has been a coach since 1997, primarily working in the Canadian Football League.</p>
<p>He began his coaching career as a quarterback coach for the Calgary Stampeders, where he spent the 1997 season. In 1998 and 1999, he held the same position with the BC Lions before being hired as the head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2000 to 2006. He joined the University of Buffalo in 2007 as a quarterbacks coach a position he held until 2009. In 2011, Barrett joined UCF's staff as a running backs coach, then was promoted to the quarterbacks coach position in 2015 before O'Leary's abrupt retirement.</p>
<p>Barrett was a quarterback at the University of Cincinnati and professionally in the CFL. He started with Calgary in 1983 as a quarterback, then spent the first half of the 1985 season as a slotback before moving to the Toronto Argonauts during the season. He returned to Calgary in 1989 before joining BC in 1992. After two seasons with the Lions, he spent the 1994 and 1995 seasons with the Ottawa Rough Riders, before a one-year stint back with the Stampeders in 1996. He played one final season in 1998 with BC after starting the season as their quarterbacks coach, but coming out of retirement to also serve as the team's backup quarterback.</p>
<p>Barrett threw for 23,419 yards in his career with 133 touchdown. He twice led his team to appearances in the Grey Cup (1987 with Toronto, 1991 with Calgary), but never won the CFL championship. In 1993, Barrett set the CFL record for most passing yards in a game with 601, a record surpassed in 1994.</p>
<p>He had a 57-68-1 as a head coach with Saskatchewan, with a 3-5 record in the Playoffs. He went 0-4 as the interim coach with UCF, completing an 0-12 season for the school.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/23/10820708/dolphins-add-danny-barrett-as-running-backs-coachKevin Nogle2016-01-20T13:56:58-05:002016-01-20T13:56:58-05:00Dolphins hire Jim, Jeremiah Washburn
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<p>The Miami Dolphins are continuing to build their coaching staff with two hires from the Detroit Lions.</p> <p>The Miami Dolphins are working to fill a brand new coaching staff under rookie head coach Adam Gase. While some of the bigger positions like offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators have been filled, the addition of position coaches and "senior assistant coaches" are still happening, with the Dolphins adding two more on Tuesday, according to multiple media reports.</p>
<p>The Dolphins will be adding former Detroit Lions father-son duo Jim and Jeremiah Washburn. Jim, the elder of the two, was the assistant defensive line coach for the Lions from 2013-2014, working with Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh during that span. Jim was technically still a part of the Lions' staff in 2015, but spent the entire season dealing with some health issues. Prior to his time with Detroit, Jim was the defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans (1999-2010) and Philadelphia Eagles (2011-2012). His coaching career began in 1976, with various positions across college, World League of American Football, and Arena Football teams. With Miami, Jim is expected to be a <a href="https://twitter.com/alexmarvez/status/689480015923130370" target="_blank">senior defensive assistant coach working with the defensive line</a>.</p>
<p>The Dolphins were reported to have interest in Jim last offseason, attempting to bring him to Miami after Suh signed as a free agent. The Lions, however, would not release him from his contract.</p>
<p>The younger Jeremiah started with the Lions in 2009 as the assistant offensive line coach, then was promoted to the offensive line coach in 2013. He was part of the offensive coaching shakeup in Detroit during the 2015 season, when he, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, and assistant offensive line coach Terry Heffernan were all fired. He worked with the Baltimore Ravens in the personnel department from 2003-2008. Jeremiah will be an <a href="https://twitter.com/caplannfl/status/688791936145182720" target="_blank">offensive assistant coach with the Dolphins</a>, though an official title is not yet known.</p>
<p>The Dolphins had requested to interview current Detroit defensive line coach Kris Kocurek for the same position in Miami, but the Lions denied the request, <a href="https://twitter.com/alexmarvez/status/689480325777338368" target="_blank">according to Fox Sports' Alex Marvez</a>.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/20/10800664/dolphins-add-jim-washburn-to-defensive-coaches-jeremiah-washburn-asKevin Nogle2016-01-19T13:24:52-05:002016-01-19T13:24:52-05:00Salguero adds more details to strained Philbin-Tannehill relationship
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<p>The relationship between Ryan Tannehill and Joe Philbin was already reported to have been strained. Now, more details emerge.</p> <p>The struggles from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> on the field this past season are well documented. The offensive line never came together as a unit and struggled in pass blocking. The defensive line was racked with injuries and never played at full strength. The cornerbacks struggled all season. The team chose not to run the ball, making the team a pass-only offense. And, quarterback <span>Ryan Tannehill</span> seemed to regress in 2015 after growing in each of his first three seasons.</p>
<p>Last week, Miami Herald reporter Armando Salguero wrote about former <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2016/01/gase-to-address-miami-dolphins-quarterback-head-coach-relationship.html" target="_blank">Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin wanting to change quarterbacks before the 2014 season</a>, looking to draft Derek Carr. When that did not happen, Philbin continued to distance himself from his quarterback, including a ridiculous week in which he would not say Tannehill was the starting quarterback leading into a game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a>.</p>
<p>It was a story that was not flattering to the coach, who seemed to only be half-hardheartedly supporting his quarterback.</p>
<p>Tuesday morning, Salguero added to the story, and it again does not look great for Philbin. According to Salguero's report, Philbin "<a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/dolphins_in_depth/2016/01/the-dynamics-between-ryan-tannehill-and-his-coaches.html" target="_blank">stayed silent about his desire to go in that other direction until mere days before the draft</a>." He adds, as the Dolphins were winding down their draft preparation, thinking they were ready to put together their big board and execute a strategy, "a few days before the actual first round, Philbin made it known to some of his offensive assistants and the personnel department that he wanted to go in a different direction. The story was so strange, it still makes the rounds at Dolphins camp today.</p>
<p>Salguero also writes that Philbin's doubts about Tannehill manifested themselves in Bill Lazor's offense, where, as the new offensive coordinator in 2014, Lazor was trying to settle in with his quarterback. Rather than trusting Tannehill, Lazor refused to allow the quarterback to play a part in the game planning and did not give him the ability to call audibles at the line of scrimmage.</p>
<p>Salguero asks the exact questions that this situation causes: "Is it any wonder the production of Lazor's offense declined? Is it surprising Tannehill stopped improving at the rate he showed from 2013 to 2014?"</p>
<p>Tannehill clearly was a quarterback on the way up until his coach - the coach that initially drafted him just two years prior and hired his Texas A&M head coach as the team's offensive coordinator to assist with the college-to-NFL transition - got infatuated with another quarterback. Tannehill was growing and becoming more confident in himself and his role in the offense until that offense changed and Tannehill was not allowed to take part in scheming for each game or changing out of plays that would not work.</p>
<p>Now, the team's coaching staff has been gutted and cleaned out. Tannehill was given the ability to assist with the game planning near the end of the year, and he clearly seemed to be relieved that he was having some say in the offense he was running. This year, head coach Adam Gase, hired after a year of being the offensive coordinator for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> and two years as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a>' offensive coordinator, is expected to spend time working with Tannehill. Gase is seen as a quarterbacks' coach, able to play to the strengths of the player, rather than trying to force him into a system that does not work for him. Tannehill should be able to resume his growth and development under Gase, and should be given the freedom to take part in the game planning and allowed to audible in the new system.</p>
<p>If Tannehill is not able to resume his upward trajectory, it may turn out that he is not destined to be great. He appears to have a coach who will support him and work with him this year, rather than one who tells the media one thing, and the team another.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/19/10791102/ryan-tannehill-and-joe-philbin-relationship-details-continue-to-emergeKevin Nogle2016-01-18T18:27:28-05:002016-01-18T18:27:28-05:00Bengals hire Lazor, Coyle
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<p>The Cincinnati Bengals hire both of the former coordinators from the failed Joe Philbin regime for the Miami Dolphins.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> made multiple changes to their coaching staff during the 2015 regular season, including firing head coach Joe Philbin and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle after a 1-3 start to the season, then adding offensive coordinator Bill Lazor to the list of fired coaches later in the year. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Coyle and Lazor will continue coaching with each other in 2016:</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> hired former Dolphins OC Bill Lazor as quarterbacks coach and former Dolphins DC Kevin Coyle as defensive backs coach.</p>
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/689224900624650241">January 18, 2016</a>
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<p>Coyle returns to the Bengals, where he was the defensive backs coach before Miami hired him as their defensive coordinator. He fills a vacancy created when Miami hired Vance Joseph, serving as Cincinnati's defensive backs coach, to be their new defensive coordinator heading into the 2016 season.</p>
<p>Lazor previously served under Chip Kelly with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a> as their quarterbacks coach before landing the Dolphins offensive coordinator position.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/18/10787352/bengals-hire-bill-lazor-kevin-coyleKevin Nogle2016-01-18T14:20:16-05:002016-01-18T14:20:16-05:00Eagles officially hire Pederson as HC
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<p>The Philadelphia Eagles have officially hired Doug Pederson as their new head coach.</p> <p>The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs on Saturday. On Monday, they lost their offensive coordinator, as Doug Pederson was officially announced as the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles were expected to make the move once the Chiefs were no longer in the Playoffs, and that is exactly what happened this weekend.</p>
<p>Pederson began his head coaching career in 2005 as a high school head coach. He was hired by Andy Reid to join the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 as the offensive quality control coordinator, working his way up to quarterbacks coach in 2011. When Reid was fired by the Eagles after the 2012 season, Pederson moved with him to the Chiefs, taking over the offensive coordinator position, holding the job for three years.</p>
<p>Prior to starting his coaching career, Pederson spent 12 years in the NFL, after one season in the World League of American Football. He started his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, playing for coach Don Shula from 1993 to 1995, including winning Shula's record 325th career victory after an injury sidelined Scott Mitchell. Pederson then played for the Green Bay Packers from 1996 to 1998, the Eagles in 1999, the Cleveland Browns in 2000, and finished his career back with the Packers in a 2001 to 2004 stint.</p>
<p>Under Reid, Pederson did not call plays for most of his tenure as the offensive coordinator, a duty which Reid kept most of the time. The reins did loosen some this past season, and Pederson was allowed to call plays at times. With Pederson as the offensive coordinator, the Chiefs ranked 6th, 16th, and 9th in scoring offense, along with being 10th, 10th, and 6th in rushing offense. Quarterback Alex Smith was 14th, 13th, and 10th in passer rating over the past three years.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/18/10786462/doug-pederson-head-coach-philadelphia-eagles-kansas-city-chiefs-miami-dolphinsKevin Nogle2016-01-17T09:00:03-05:002016-01-17T09:00:03-05:00Ranking Each New NFL Head Coaching Hire
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<p>The newest wave of NFL head coaches have been hired. Over the course of two weeks, seven teams filled vacancies with men that they feel are well equipped to lead their franchises into the future. However, all NFL head coaching hires are not created equally.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Around two weeks ago, NFL coaches woke up on what is known among their profession as the most difficult day of the year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Black Monday.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each year as the playoffs begin, tenures will end in cities that are not competing for a berth in the greatest championship game in the sports world. This year saw several vacancies open up, with seven new head coaching positions newly available. We saw familiar faces, like the <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a>’ Tom Coughlin and Tampa Bay’s Lovie Smith, relieved of their duties. We also saw younger coaches like Chip Kelly and <span>Jim Tomsula</span> receive the unfortunate call many coaches find themselves answering the day after the final game of Week 17.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most of these teams have found their new leaders, with varying levels of success. While it is impossible to predict whether these new coaches will succeed, it is fair to examine how they will fit in with the franchises they are handed the reins to. Here is our ranking for which coach/team combination appears to have yielded the best fit.</p>
<h4><i>7. The <a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tennessee Titans</a> & Mike Mularkey </i></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">This list does not rank how "good" a team’s hire was. This piece is designed to break down which coach fits best with their team. For the Titans, there was an obvious desire to maintain some level of continuity, however I do not think this it is what the team needed.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you have the first overall pick, and are picking in the top two spots for a second straight year, it indicates that your team is struggling. This is also indicated by the Titans’ record over the last two seasons, going 5-27. The Tennessee Titans did not need continuity. They needed a culture change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This job should have been a fairly easy sell. There is nothing notably difficult about working with their ownership, and they have a potential franchise quarterback on the roster. However, the organization completely bungled the search process.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They were left with Mike Mularkey, whose coaching has in some way contributed to the Titans’ struggles over the last two seasons (and beyond that). He does not fit as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans simply because they required a complete shift in culture, and in all likelihood have eliminated the possibility of any major changes. Whatever happened in Tennessee over the last two weeks should serve as a guide for teams. This is exactly how you do not go about a coaching search.</p>
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<i>6. The <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia Eagles</a> & Doug Pederson</i><b style="font-size: 12px;"></b>
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<p>Pederson has been in control of the <a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kansas City Chiefs</a>’ offense for three seasons. Since 2013, the offense has gotten worse each season in terms of total yards. They were ranked 21st in 2013, fell to 25th in 2014 and finally hit 27th in 2015. This team wins games thanks to their defense, but that fact may have eluded the Eagles’ coaching search committee.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Eagles should also know better than to believe that Pederson has more to do with their offense than Andy Reid does, as they had a decade worth of experience in how Reid runs his football team. The head coach calls the offensive plays in Kansas City, which makes Doug Pederson’s potential viability as the Eagles’ leader even less impressive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Eagles are throwing a young, inexperienced coach into a roster that was stripped of its talent by their previous coach. This is not the Eagles team that Chip Kelly acquired in 2013. This team will need a complete makeover, and Doug Pederson does not seem to have the experience or recent track record that indicates he is the man for the job.</p>
<h4><i>5. The <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco 49ers</a> & Chip Kelly:</i></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the biggest misconceptions of this season’s head coaching search is that Chip Kelly will be able to fix Colin Kaepernick. While yes, Kaepernick is a running quarterback and Kelly used plenty of read-option plays in previous offenses, there is more to his system than the ability to simply take off out of the pocket.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Chip Kelly offense requires an intimate knowledge of the playbook and the ability to make very quick decisions. They are not a "deep shot" offense.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2015, the Eagles ranked 28th in average yards per completion (10.1). They also run the highest paced offense in the league. That being said, it is clearly a system that favors short, decisive throws. Ball placement and accuracy are key. Also important is having a quick release. Kaepernick does not have any of those attributes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Outside of the offense, it doesn’t seem that really anyone would fit well with this team. The roster needs a complete overhaul. They also have one of the most notoriously difficult front-offices to work with. Jed York, who admittedly has very little football knowledge, has tied himself to Trent Baalke. The power structure squeezed out Jim Harbaugh, one of the best coaches in the league after several playoff appearances, as well as a trip to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl" class="sbn-auto-link">the Super Bowl</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chip Kelly is known to struggle with power, and had a history of such conflicts in Philadelphia, where he was able to maneuver his way into full control of personnel. It seems that the pieces are perfectly arranged for such a conflict to arise at some point in San Francisco.</p>
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<i>4. The <a href="https://www.bucsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> & Dirk Koetter</i><span> </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Each offseason there is one "didn’t see that coming" firing of a head coach. This offseason, that award went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who fired Lovie Smith days after most teams had already decided the fate of their coaches.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From the moment that the team announced this decision, many began connecting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to the very position that his boss was just removed from. As the Bucs’ head coach, Koetter will fall back on years of experience as a college coordinator and head coach (Boise State 1998-2000 & Arizona State ’01-06), and as an NFL offensive coordinator.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the most interesting offensive personnel groups in the league. They have one of the largest receiving tandems in the NFL with <span>Mike Evans</span> and Vincent Jackson. They also have the 2015 first overall pick, Jameis Winston. Koetter has worked with all of these players, and the team most likely felt that if they were going to build around the young talent on that side of the ball, they needed an offensive minded head coach.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, Lovie Smith was showing improvements each year in Tampa, and it seems that his firing could have been slightly premature. The only explanation is that the Buccaneers preferred to promote Koetter than risk losing him to another team, which seemed somewhat possible.</p>
<h4><i>3. The New York Giants & Ben McAdoo:</i></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the New York Giants are going to win football games, it will fall upon the shoulders of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning. Well, technically it will fall into the hands of Beckham, and upon the shoulders of Manning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When a team moves away from their head coach of over a decade, it is best to maintain some semblance of continuity. Hiring Ben McAdoo was the best possible scenario for the Giants.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2013, the season before McAdoo was hired as the offensive coordinator in New York, the team ranked 28th in average yards per game. In 2014, McAdoo’s first year, they ranked 11th in that same category. In 2015, they ranked 7th. He is able to maximize talent, and has done just that with the New York Giants. The team made the best possible decision, given the true formula for winning games with their current group of players.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Manning + Beckham = Points.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ben McAdoo knows better than anyone how to make sure that formula shows itself on the field each Sunday.</p>
<h4>
<i>2. The <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Dolphins</a> & Adam Gase:</i><span> </span>
</h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">Under Joe Philbin and Bill Lazor, the Miami Dolphins’ players were not playing to succeed with their coaches. They were playing to succeed in spite of them. The schemes and plays were actually so bad that if something positive happened for the team, it was likely on the shoulders of an outstanding play from one of the players instead of a well designed and well executed sequence.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2015, the Dolphins ranked 30th out of 32 teams in 3rd down conversion percentage (30.73%). They also ranked 30th in time of possession (27:22) and 27th in scoring (19.4 average points per game). The best word to describe the team under their previous coaching regime: lost.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Their playbook under Bill Lazor was a children’s book. Under Adam Gase, it will be a Russian novel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Miami Dolphins needed a coach that could maximize their efficiency on third down, and keep the offense in positive situations. All season long Miami was seemingly in 3rd & 8 or longer, asking too much of their offense.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 2015, without <span>Alshon Jeffery</span>, <span>Martellus Bennett</span> or <span>Matt Forte</span> for various stretches, Adam Gase was able to produce the league’s 6th best offense on third down. Yes, the <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bears</a> (with a miserable personnel unit) converted on 42.47% of their attempts. Gase was also able to produce an efficient unit on first and second down, as his team was faced with the 12th fewest third downs on average (13.7) among the entire league.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That efficiency is exactly what the Miami Dolphins need to maximize the effectiveness of their talented players like <span>Mike Pouncey</span>, <span>DeVante Parker</span>, <span>Jarvis Landry</span>, and <span>Ryan Tannehill</span>.</p>
<h4><i>1. The <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Browns</a> & Hue Jackson:</i></h4>
<p class="MsoNormal">No group of players or coaches had less of a will to fight at the end of the 2015 season than those with the Cleveland Browns. The team’s difficult season was transformed instantly into a miserable one, as <span>William </span>Hill crossed the plane following a scoop and score blocked field goal to win the game on Monday Night Football. It truly captured the misery and anguish felt by Browns’ fans for the last decade, as the team has failed to make any positive headway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As owner Jimmy Haslam brought in an analytics expert and a lawyer to run the team, many scratched their heads as to why he would believe they have the expertise required to build a winning team in the NFL. However, we all missed one piece of the puzzle; the organization control was going somewhere else.<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was not another team willing to give Hue Jackson the type of personnel control that he received in Cleveland. This explains why Miami did not even conduct the interview. However, Hue Jackson is exactly what the Browns need.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While the team has serviceable players on defense, there are very few offensive units were in worse shape than the Browns’. Hue Jackson is the right coach not only for a makeover on the field, but also for a complete turnaround in the locker room.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This hire was made just as much for a team that needs hope as it was for fans who need hope. The players in Cleveland need a reason to fight, and a reason to believe that their efforts will actually translate to results. Hue Jackson stands the best chance to be the leader in both the locker room and front office that the Browns have needed for a decade.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/17/10781758/ranking-which-head-coaching-hire-fits-best-with-their-new-teammaxdelray2016-01-16T21:58:30-05:002016-01-16T21:58:30-05:00Dolphins hire Clyde Christensen as offensive coordinator
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<figcaption>Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Dolphins have added Clyde Christensen to their coaching staff.</p> <p>Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase started popping up on the radar for teams looking to replace the man at the top of the coaching pyramid within their respective franchises after he worked his way up in the Denver Broncos organization, first as a quarterbacks coach then as the offensive coordinator. In those jobs, Adam Gase worked with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. On Saturday, Gase hired the man who was coaching the quarterback who forced Manning out of Indianapolis.</p>
<p>The Dolphins, according to multiple media reports, have hired Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen to take the vacant offensive coordinator position South Florida.</p>
<p>Christensen has served as the Colts' quarterbacks coach since 2012, working with first overall draft pick Andrew Luck.</p>
<p>Christensen began his coaching career in 1979 as a graduate assistant at the University of Mississippi. He then held various offensive coaching positions at East Tennessee State, Temple, East Carolina, Holy Cross, University of South Carolina, University of Maryland, and Clemson before moving to the NFL in 1996.</p>
<p>His first job in the professional league was as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' tight ends coach from 1996 to 1998, being promoted for the 1999 season to the team's quarterbacks coach. He then was promoted again in 2001, serving once season as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. In 2002, following Tony Dungy from Tampa to Indianapolis, Christensen moved to the Colts as a wide receivers coach, adding the "assistant head coach" title in 2008. In 2009, he moved to the team's offensive coordinator role, with Manning as his quarterback, a position he held until he became the team's quarterbacks coach in 2012.</p>
<p>Gase, who was hired last Saturday and will be entering his first season as a head coach, has already stated that he plans to call offensive plays himself, so Christensen's main responsibilities will be game planning and running the offensive side of practices. Gase has said, once he is comfortable with an offensive coordinator, he will consider giving up the play calling duties.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2016/1/16/10781456/dolphins-hire-clyde-christensen-to-be-offensive-coordinatorKevin Nogle