With defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver a head coach candidate, let’s re-examine his year in Miami
There’s no secret that Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is beloved within the organization.
Just ask the players.
“He’s a good mix of laugh and play with you and being dead serious at the same time,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks said Dec. 24. “I think he’s got the respect of all the guys in the locker room. It makes you want to play hard for him, and I think that’s why as a defense we’ve had the success that we’ve had.”
And the coaches.
“He’s fully equipped with the football knowledge and more importantly he’s a relationship-builder and maintainer,” coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday.
Weaver’s interview Wednesday with the New Orleans Saints is already complete, one of two head coaching openings he will be considered for alongside the Chicago Bears. If he gets one of those jobs what will be missed within the Dolphins organization should not be overlooked. And it’s a lot more than just the potential third-round compensatory pick Miami would get if he had stayed the necessary two seasons.
“You can tell when he walks into a room, he just commands respect,” general manager Chris Grier said Tuesday, later adding that “any organization would benefit tremendously from him. I would hate for him to leave us because then that’s possibly a fourth defensive scheme for the defensive guys to go through. But I highly recommend him for anyone. He’s a tremendous human being and football coach.”
As Grier alluded, the Dolphins can’t necessarily afford to lose him. In what will amount to a forgotten season, the defense was one of the few bright spots for Miami. Their rankings — total defense (fourth), against the run (ninth), against the pass (ninth), on third down (sixth), in the red zone (fourth) and scoring (10th) — speak for themselves. Even that wasn’t enough to players such as Jalen Ramsey.
“I think [Weaver is] a great leader, a great motivator,” the All-Pro cornerback said, adding that he has “a lot of respect for him. At times, I don’t feel like me myself or us as a unit played well enough for him.“
Despite yet another exceptional-yet-unheralded season from Ramsey, he can claim to have not met Weaver’s standard as the defensive coordinator made it clear from the very beginning his intentions to use the standout cornerback “ultimate chess piece.” Ramsey did just about everything for the Dolphins in 2024, from rushing the passer to playing slot and outside cornerback. That’s because Weaver’s scheme, as safety Jevon Holland described, is very “player-based,” a testament to his intimate knowledge of not only the roster itself but player personnel.
“He’s really thinking about how to put us in the best position possible to go out there and be successful and put our attributes on the table and try to put us in position to make sure that each and every individual strength is magnetized in the defense,” Holland said in late July. “I think with that, he does a great job making the play call and putting us in the right position when it counts.”
Weaver’s actual interest in a head coach gig, however, is a bit of an unknown. When asked about the possibility in his last media availability session, he appeared too locked into how to limit the New York Jets offense.
“It’s funny because I spoke to my agent last night and he’s like, ‘What are you doing to prepare for those opps?’” Weaver said Jan. 2. “And I’m like, ‘Absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing.’ I’m so focused right now on just controlling what we can control, beating the Jets and praying that we get the help we need in order to continue this run, because I think if we can get in, if we’re blessed with that opportunity, we can make some noise.”
That statement alone showcases part of his allure. He has the laser focus necessary to deal with the day-to-day grind of an NFL season – in part because played seven season with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans – without the sacrifice of the personal. Consider how legendary defensive tackle Calais Campbell described him towards the end of the year.
“I think having a player experience… helps him a little bit just being relatable and communicating to the guys,” Campbell said in mid-November, praising his ability to balance “showing love and then kind of being hard on guys” as well as “encouragement and then accountability.”
Added Campbell: “He’s a phenomenal coach, great leader. I think his passion for the game and his desire to win is what separates him, which I think everybody that does anything wants that but he just does it at an elite level.
When asked if Weaver will one day be a head coach, the 17-year veteran did not mince words.
“Without a doubt in my mind,” Campbell said. “Very soon, and I think he’ll be a great head coach.”
There’s an argument to be made that this should be Weaver’s turn. He already received head coach interviews in the 2024 hiring cycle. He has been an assistant head coach with the Ravens as well as worked for several organizations outside the Dolphins including the Texans, Jets and Buffalo Bills.
So if Weaver actually coached his last game in the aqua and orange, it will be a sad day in Miami. He has, in less than a year, created something special on defense.
“I think he’s more than deserving,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “We obviously thought highly of him by hiring him and he followed through above and beyond and I think we’ll be greatly served if we’re fortunate enough to have him another year, but will not be surprised – very deserving and I see him – it’s not if but when for him to get a head coaching opportunity whether it’s this year or in the years moving forward.”
