Miami Dolphins hire former Chargers assistant as new offensive coordinator, per source
New coach Mike McDaniel plans to call the plays on offense for the Dolphins, but he now has someone in place to help him craft the game plan.
McDaniel is hiring Los Angeles Chargers assistant coach Frank Smith as the team’s new offensive coordinator, according to a league source.
Smith was the Chargers’ run-game coordinator and offensive line coach and is well regarded for his development of offensive linemen and tight ends. He spent one year working for the Chargers.
He replaces George Godsey and Eric Studesville in the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator role. Godsey became tight ends coach of the Baltimore Ravens and Studesville will now focus on coaching the Dolphins running backs.
Smith, 40, was an offensive lineman at Miami of Ohio (blocking for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger) and began his career as an offensive assistant there in 2004 and 2005. He hen spent four years at Butler, first as offensive line coach and then as offensive coordinator.
He was assistant offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints from 2010 to 2014. During those five seasons, the Saints allowed just 143 sacks, third-fewest in the NFL.
Smith then took a job as tight ends coach of the Chicago Bears and spent three seasons there (2015 through 2017).
He then spent three years as the Raiders’ tight ends coach (2018 through 2020) before leaving for a job with the Chargers, where he helped develop rookie standout guard Rashawn Slater and stabilize an offensive line that improved considerably from 2020.
Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London and former Saints and Bears assistant Curtis Johnson were among others considered for the offensive coordinator job.
Smith’s hiring leaves two or three significant openings on staff: quarterback coach (if Charlie Frye is replaced), a defensive backs coach (replacing Gerald Alexander, who wasn’t retained) and potentially the outside linebacker coaching job (replacing Rob Leonard, who left for the same job with the Baltimore Ravens).
The offensive coaching staff is expected to include Smith, new receivers coach Wes Welker, new tight ends coach Jon Embree, Studesville (who is being retained from Brian Flores’ staff) and expected new offensive line coach Matt Applebaum, who held that job at Boston College the past two seasons.
ESPN reported Saturday that Applebaum is expected to join the Dolphins.
Welker and Embree worked alongside McDaniel with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Dolphins’ defensive coaching staff will include four coaches who were on Flores’ 2021 Dolphins staff: defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and cornerbacks coach Charles Burks.
Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman also is being retained.
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This story was originally published February 14, 2022 at 12:17 PM.
