Dolphins announce Brian Flores' staff, which includes Jim Caldwell and several with Patriots ties
The Miami Dolphins announced new head coach Brian Flores’ full staff on Friday, and not surprisingly it includes a lot of current and former New England Patriots coaches, men Flores is familiar with from his decade-plus with the Patriots.
It also includes, as previously reported, Jim Caldwell, and three holdovers from last season’s Dolphins’ coaching staff.
Caldwell is assistant head coach, sounding board
Caldwell, who interviewed for some head-coaching vacancies this cycle, is assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. Flores, who will turn 38 later this month, sees Caldwell as a sounding board and someone for him to use as an adviser because of Caldwell’s experience as a head coach.
“Jim is an incredible human being, a man of faith and a great football coach,” Flores said in a statement on the Miami website. “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.”
Caldwell was head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, where he won a Super Bowl, and Detroit Lions.
Assistants with New England ties
Flores poached three coaches from the New England staff that just won the Super Bowl: receivers coach Chad O’Shea, who will be the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator; Josh Boyer, who will coach Miami’s cornerbacks and coordinate the defensive passing game; and Jerry Schuplinski, who will make a lateral move and continue as an assistant quarterbacks coach.
The Dolphins’ new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, was linebackers coach and defensive line coach for New England before leaving to run the New York Giants’ defensive line. Graham spent last year as the Green Bay Packers linebacker coach and defensive run game coordinator.
“Pat is a Yale guy,” Flores said. “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’ new tight ends coach George Godsey also spent time with the Patriots. Offensive quality control coach Tiquan Underwood was a Patriots’ receiver.
Crossman to run special teams
Danny Crossman, who has previously been the special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, will have the same role with Miami.
Longtime Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, who spent the past two seasons coaching the Jaguars’ line, will hold the same role with the Dolphins. Defensive line coach Marion Hobby held the same role with the Jaguars.
Linebackers coach Rob Leonard was with the Giants for the past six seasons.
The three coaches Flores kept from Miami’s 2018 staff are running backs coach Eric Studesville, safeties coach Tony Oden and quality control assistant Josh Grizzard.
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