Dolphins retain multiple position coaches: Details. And personnel tidbits
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley is retaining multiple assistant coaches from Mike McDaniel’s 2025 staff.
According to a source, Joe Barry and defensive line coach Austin Clark are being retained. Barry was the Dolphins’ inside linebacker coach and defensive run game coordinator last season.
Slowik also was retained from the 2025 staff and was promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator, replacing Frank Smith, who on Sunday joined the Minnesota Vikings as assistant head coach.
Tight ends coach Jon Embree will not be on the 2026 staff, a source said.
Barry was the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2021 through 2023 before Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur replaced him with Hafley after that season, when Hafley decided to return to the NFL after four seasons as the head coach at Boston College.
As Dolphins inside linebackers coach, Barry helped maximize Jordyn Brooks, who is coming off arguably his best NFL season, and Tyrel Dodson, the team’s other starting inside linebacker.
Clark, who is well regarded around the league, joined the Dolphins as outside linebackers coach in 2020 and was promoted to defensive line coach in 2021.
He is the only Dolphins position coach who will end up having worked for Miami’s three coaches this decade: Brian Flores, McDaniel and now Hafley.
Hafley’s first Dolphins coaching staff is now nearly complete, with a couple of exceptions, including tight end coach.
The full staff is expected to be announced in the days ahead.
Besides Clark and Barry, Hafley’s group of coaches includes offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, defensive coordinator Sean Duggan, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor, linebackers coach Al Washington, defensive backs (or defensive passing game coordinator) coach Ryan Downard, receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, running backs coach Ladell Betts, cornerbacks coach Jahmile Addae, offensive line coach Zach Yenser, defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis, quarterback coach Nathaniel Hackett, and assistant offensive line coach Matt Applebaum, assistant special teams coach Darius Eubanks and assistant defensive line coach Chuck Nadulue.
This and that
If the Dolphins opt to keep one veteran starter from their secondary, impending free agent cornerback Rasul Douglas -- who has a background with new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in Green Bay -- could be cheaper than Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has a hefty non-guaranteed 2026 salary ($15.6 million) and hefty cap hit ($18.9 million) that would drop to a $3.2 million dead money hit if he’s cut after June 1.
The Dolphins defense would be better with both of them, but Miami’s cap predicament might make that challenging. The Dolphins are nearly $30 million over the projected cap and must be cap compliant by March 11.
Douglas closed with a 67 passer rating in his coverage area - seventh among corners with at least 50 targets, in between top 10 first-round picks Pat Surtain Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr.
Pro Football Focus ranked him 19th among 114 qualifying cornerbacks.
Fitzpatrick closed with a 103 passer rating against (27 for 35 for 253 yards and two TDs and a pick).
But PFF rated him Miami’s best player on defense this season and third best run defender, behind Brooks and Trader. Overall, PFF rated him the league’s seventh best safety overall and 20th best run defender at the position.
Brian Duker, who was the Dolphins’ secondary coach last season and is now the Jets defensive coordinator, said Douglas “was everything I thought he would be and more.”
He said Fitzpatrick’s “playmaking” was missed late in the season. “He’s demonstrated the ability to make big time plays,” Duker said. “He’s calm, has [good] communication, the ability to put out a fire.”
Decisions on Douglas and Fitzpatrick rank high on a list of hundreds of decisions looming for Sullivan.
Over the next month, the Dolphins are expected to determine whether to keep or cut several key veterans.
▪ Neither of the veteran free agent safeties - Ashtyn Davis or Ifeatu Melifonwu - might have done enough to make a convincing case to return, though it remains to be seen if Sullivan will retain either.
Davis had a 108.8 passer rating in his coverage area, with two TDs allowed. Melifonwu was at a poor 120.2, with three TDs allowed.
▪ Second-year cornerback Storm Duck, an opening day starter, saw his season ruined by injuries and ended up allowing four of six targets to be caught for 72 yards (18 per catch) and a touchdown.
But Duker said late in the season that he believes strongly that “he would have played well,” if he hadn’t been injured.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 9:55 AM.
