Dolphins’ Gase starts coaching hires

With the addition of Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins head coach Adam Gase has started filling out his coaching staff. Joseph wasn’t the only hires made on Tuesday.

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Gase added Joseph and then concentrated on other areas of his staff. The one name that sticks out more than any other is Chris Foerster. Foerster was the Miami offensive line coach in 2004 and that particular unit was one of the worst in Dolphins history. He was promoted to offensive coordinator that season as well. The Dolphins’ Dave Wannstedt resigned midway through the season after the teams bye week.

Foerster has been coaching in the NFL for a long time but his coaching stops have been filled with some rather odd behavior that has cost him his job. While I will simply leave it at that because I have no proof other than a trusted source, I can say that he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens for some of this behavior. He coached the line in Baltimore from 2005-2007 and served as the assistant head coach under Brian Billick.

Foerster has been coaching since 1982 having started as a graduate assistant with Colorado State University. He joined the NFL ranks in 1993 as a TE/OL coach in Minnesota. His track record with coaching is questionable because doesn’t spend much time in one place. His longest stint with one team was six years with the Buccaneers.

Foerster has coached with the Vikings, Buccaneers, Colts, Dolphins, Ravens, 49’ers, Redskins, the 49’ers again, and now again with the Dolphins. How long he lasts in Miami will depend on whether he can turnaround a unit that has given up more quarterback sacks in the last four years, 189, than any other team in the NFL in that timeframe.

Miami also added linebacker coach Matt Burke, wide-receiver coach Shawn Jefferson, and Shane Day to coach tight-ends.

Burke has been with the Lions and the Bengals most recently. He has done solid work with linebackers and both the Lions and Bengals had better production from those units with Burke as the coach. Jefferson is interesting because he has worked in Detroit and Tennesse. He helped Calvin Johnson have one of his best seasons while with the Lions and in Tennessee did well with young inexperienced receivers like Dorial Green-Beckham. In Miami he will be working with a very solid group of young receivers.

Day started coaching at the high-school levl in 2001 and in 2006 joined the staff at the University of Michigan. His first NFL stop was in 2007 with the 49ers followed by a stint with the Bears. He went back to the college ranks in 2012 and then joined the Redskins in 2014. The Redskins utilize the tight-end very well and Day could be a very good fit for the Dolphins under Adam Gases system that also uses tight-ends often.

The Dolphins still have a lot of staff left to hire but the inner core is starting to take shape. Despite rumors that every coach was let go except Darren Rizzi there is still some chatter that Lou Anarumo could remain with the team. Gase is expected to make more hires over the next couple of days and could have his entire staff in place by the weekend.