Brian Flores assembling a stellar coaching staff unlike Adam Gase
By Brian Miller
When Adam Gase took over the Miami Dolphins he failed to hire proven assistants. Brian Flores is not following the same path.
If it wasn’t enough to get excited about the potential of Brian Flores and his three post-season defensive efforts to close out the NFL season, skeptics (like myself) are finding it hard not be thrilled with the potential additions to his coaching staff.
Adam Gase relied on his friends and while they had coaching experience, Gase opted to not bring aboard proven coaches with long NFL histories who have had success. For example, not adding John Fox to the staff even as an assistant head coach had some scratching their heads.
Brian Flores is taking a similar yet different approach and so far it is looking impressive. And exciting.
Both of the coordinators will be first time coordinators. Former Green Bay Packer linebacker coach Patrick Graham, has a history with Flores in New England and will run the defense. Chad O’Shea who has been the long time wide-receiver coach for the Patriots will handle the offense.
It is being reported now that Patriot assistant quarterback coach Jerry Schuplinski will be leaving the Patriots to take over the QB coaching role under Flores. This is notable because rarely do so many assistant coaches leave New England when one of their own finds a head coaching job.
Schuplinski didn’t serve as the QB coach because that is what Josh McDaniels does in addtion to OC. Neeldess to say he has been around long enough to understand how New England operates. He served as an offensive assistant from 2013 to 2015 before becoming assistant QB coach until now.
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There is also word that the Dolphins are targeting a former defensive coordinator to assist Patrick Graham and his name is Dom Capers. Capers is also on the radar of the Bengals but it appears that he may join Flores in Miami. If that happens, the Dolphins are going to have a very good defensive staff that includes a head coach who just slammed the Rams offense in the Super Bowl.
Lastly there is still a lot of speculation although nothing concrete just yet that former NFL head coach Jim Caldwell will serve as an offensive assistant to help Chad O’Shea with the offense. Another brilliant addition if it comes to fruition.
Overall the thoughts of Flores joining the Dolphins as a head coach a month ago were not met with a lot of excitement but more or less questions of why. One big question was could he bring in a talented coaching staff. Now that he is free to join the Dolphins, it appears that he has the respect around the league to do just that and it could be Miami’s best staff in more than a decade.