No one has quite understood why Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has stayed with the status quo through his first three years as it relates to special teams coaching. Danny Crossman has managed to survive the Brian Flores era and the three years under McDaniel. Not anymore.
The Dolphins announced on Friday they have parted ways with Crossman after another horrible season by the special teams unit. Crossman has been in Miami fans "crosshairs" for several years. It's amazing what can happen when your job is on the line.
Clearly, McDaniel is feeling the pressure of his own job, if he had not been, Crossman would have been gone last year. The Dolphins, after a horrible season in 2024, seem to be looking at who they could point the finger at. Crossman was an easy target, given the special teams' consistently low ranking league-wide.
Miami Dolphins also decided to fire WRs coach Wes Welker on Friday
It's hard to blame Wes Welker for the woes on offense. Play calling wasn't good and the Dolphins receivers dealt with a lot of injuries yet again. Welker wasn't the problem in Miami, McDaniel was.
Welker will not likely be unemployed long. It will be interesting to see what other coaches eventually follow Welker and Crossman out of Miami. The Dolphins started 2-6, then tried to finish 6-2 but couldn't pull it off, losing to the Jets in week 18.
One of the bigger questions is, can McDaniel find coaches to replace the ones he is getting rid of? McDaniel will enter 2025 on the hot seat. Coaches who typically undergo assistant changes can struggle to find replacements when their own jobs are on the line.
Firing Crossman was something that should have been done when McDaniel became the head coach. Miami's special teams have not been good since his arrival.