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Former Miami Dolphins Darren Rizzi lands with the Saints

By Brian Miller

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 7: Associate head coach/special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi of the Miami Dolphins yells at Martrell Spaight #53 after he was given an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting during the third quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 7: Associate head coach/special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi of the Miami Dolphins yells at Martrell Spaight #53 after he was given an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting during the third quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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The Miami Dolphins and Darren Rizzi opted to part ways earlier this week and now the long time special teams coach is joining the Saints.

For Darren Rizzi a Super Bowl may be a lot closer than it was a month or even a week ago. After not receiving the head coaching job with the Dolphins, Rizzi and the team mutually parted ways. Now he will take up the same role with the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints came one game if not one bad non-called penalty away from the Super Bowl this year. Darren Rizzi and the Miami Dolphins came one game away from finishing .500. The Dolphins who are expected to rebuild the team and potentially gut the roster left Rizzi’s future up to Brian Flores.

Reports out of Miami were that Flores was going to dismiss Rizzi. Those rumors/reports suggested Flores wanted a clean slate when he arrives in Miami. For Rizzi however, it was his decision also not to remain after being bypassed for the HC job in favor of Flores.

Since 2009 Rizzi has handled the special teams unit for the Dolphins and his results were at times better than average but rarely below average. He was a high energy coach for the team and earned the players respect. Ultimately however the Dolphins did not feel confident in handing the job over to him.

Rizzi survived through Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, and Adam Gase. He served as the teams special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. He will be joining a Saints team that includes previous Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell currently is an assistant head coach and tight-ends coach with Sean Payton.

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