Mike McDaniel closing in on assembling staff, including former Dolphins Pro Bowl cornerback
A week after being introduced as Dolphins head coach, Mike McDaniel is close to finishing assembling his staff for the 2022 NFL season.
A league source confirmed multiple reports from Tuesday that the team is hiring longtime offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell as quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. A source also confirmed previous reports that Boston College Matt Applebaum offensive line coach is joining McDaniel in the same position and Atlanta Falcons assistant Chandler Henley is joining as assistant quarterbacks coach.
Former All-Pro Dolphins cornerback Sam Madison is also joining the staff as cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist, a source confirmed.
Henley most recently served as assistant offensive line coach for the Falcons during the 2021 season. From 2018-2020, Henley was an offensive quality control coach with the Tennessee Titans.
A Colorado native and teammate of McDaniel at Yale, Henley coached tight ends at his alma mater. Former Bulldogs coach Jack Siedlecki told the Miami Herald that Henley was McDaniel’s best friend on the team and that the two wide receivers watched more film than anyone else.
Henley also served as an offensive/recruiting graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach for Vanderbilt University.
Bevell and Henley will join McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith in working to get quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to fulfill his potential as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Henley and Bevell are the latest additions to an offensive staff that has been overhauled under McDaniel. San Francisco 49ers assistants Jon Embree and Wes Welker are set to join McDaniel as tight ends coach/assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, respectively. Eric Studesville is remaining on staff to coach running backs but won’t retain his offensive coordinator title.
Madison, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection with the Dolphins, has spent the last three seasons as defensive backs/cornerbacks coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. Madison, 47, was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the 1997 Draft. He replaces cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, who is leaving for a role with the Cincinnati Bengals.
These latest additions also follow a league source confirming Tyrone McKenzie is joining the staff as outside linebackers coach.
McKenzie, 36, is a former linebacker for the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings who most recently coached linebackers with the Detroit Lions during the 2020 season under Matt Patricia.
McKenzie, who has also coached inside linebackers with the Titans and was assistant special teams coach with the Los Angeles Rams, replaces Rob Leonard, who is joining the Baltimore Ravens in the same role.
McKenzie joins a defensive staff mostly kept intact after the firing of Flores. McDaniel opted to keep Josh Boyer as defensive coordinator, along with linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and defensive line coach Austin Clark. The Dolphins parted ways with defensive backs Gerald Alexander and could opt to fill his role.
Mike McDaniel’s staff
Offense
Offensive coordinator: Frank Smith
Quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator: Darrell Bevell
Running backs coach: Eric Studesville
Wide receivers coach: Wes Welker
Tight ends coach/assistant head coach: Jon Embree
Offensive line coach: Matt Applebaum
Assistant quarterbacks coach: Chandler Henley
Defense/special teams
Defensive coordinator: Josh Boyer
Special teams coordinator: Danny Crossman
Defensive line coach: Austin Clark
Linebackers coach: Anthony Campanile
Outside linebackers coach: Tyrone McKenzie
Cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist: Sam Madison
David Wilson contributed reporting.
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 11:42 AM.
