DC options

[Idahomer]

We've all heard the speculation that Fangio will be interviewed for our DC position, although no word of an interview request or not.. Here's some other names circulating..

The #Dolphins are planning to interview LBs coach Anthony Campanile for their vacant defensive coordinator job this week, source said. A former long-time college coach at Michigan and BC, Campanile has impressed in Miami.

The Minnesota Vikings & Miami Dolphins Have Requested Permission To Interview Seattle Seahawks Assistant Sean Desai For Their DC Vacancy

[Dphinz_Dphinz]

My vote is for Lovie Smith for DC and as an added caveat...assistant HC to help develop McDaniel as a HC (primarily in-game situations).

Two birds with one stone.

[AquaXI]

If money talks and Ross is bottomless then Fangio will love Miami. Fangio or bust for me!

[Idahomer]

If money talks and Ross is bottomless then Fangio will love Miami. Fangio or bust for me!

The interesting thing about Seattle Seahawks Assistant Sean Desai is that he was Fagio's right hand man in Chicago.. Fangio tried to bring Desai with him to Denver and Chicago blocked them for taking him. My understanding is that he learned the ropes from Fangio and is considered Fagio's protege..

But I'm with you AQ... I feel like Fagio is the guy I want as well. I just think the more experience MM puts around him the better he will learn and grow as HC..

[AquaXI]

So I wouldn't mind Desai but if he does well he quickly becomes a HC candidate or is up & coming.

With Fangio I think DC is where he does best and probably will never be HC again so he is good for 5 years without being poached.

[Wulf]

I wont hold my breath, but I love the thought of Fangio working with some of the great defenders we have!

[FTLDOLFAN]

My vote is for Lovie Smith for DC and as an added caveat...assistant HC to help develop McDaniel as a HC (primarily in-game situations).

Two birds with one stone.

Lovie Smith would be a good option. I think Fangio is going to follow Sean Payton wherever he goes.

[dolphindrifter]

I don't want fangio at all, his defense is very boring and plays a lot of zone, this team was built for man not zone, I don't think he'd be a good fit here. I want a defense that gets after the qb and actually plays man, honestly somebody who knew flores system if they are still here and is a good play caller would be ideal. The reason the defense was terrible was because of boyer, he was a terrible play caller.

We saw the difference between him and flores calling the same defense with the same players last year, and boyer had the defense last or near last when he was calling plays, when flores called them it was first or near first. Flores system is good but it requires the right play caller.

[Wulf]

To be fair, the defensive backs were mostly NOT the Flores DB corps! (Unless we count an underperforming X and Iggy) Most of our DBs spent much of the year on IR, with Byron Jones not playing a single down.

[dolphindrifter]

wasn't kohou the only main guy that was new that played a lot? I think x played played pretty well considering watching him run reaked of groin issues which was his main problem. And yeah, iggy sucks, but I can't blame the d very much considering boyer was wrecking our d last year when he was calling plays too.

[PhinPhan68]

I want Fangio but as a Dolphins fan I rarely get what I want

Out of all the head coaches and players I’ve wanted Jarvis Landry and Javone Holland are the only players they agreed on

I can see the Dolphins being forced to hire a rookie DC …….or one with 1 season of experience

I think Sean Desai is a strong possibility at being that hire

[Idahomer]

Dolphins defensive coordinator search: 5 Things to Know: Sean Desai

By Joe Schad
Palm Beach Post
January 23, 2023

Even before Mike McDaniel became a head coach, he was hopeful to join forces with legendary defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

While Fangio may return to coordinating in 2023, it's nowhere near a certainty to be in Miami.

Enter Sean Desai — Fangio's protege.

For many, many reasons, Desai is a candidate of interest to McDaniel to replace Josh Boyer.

And it all starts with the fact that the highest of recommendations would come from Fangio himself.

Here are 5 Things to Know about Desai, who is currently associate head coach of the Seattle Seahawks after having successfully coordinated the Chicago Bears defense:

Sean Desai's unlikely rise
Desai is is 39 years old and a Connecticut native.

Desai played high school football and coached at his alma mater, Shelton High. His college coaching career at Temple began when he e-mailed to see if the team could use a volunteer.

Then-Temple coach Al Golden, a future University of Miami coach, would have a positive influence on his career. In fact, Desai worked for Golden at Miami in 2011 as assistant director of football operations.

Desai could have chosen many paths outside of coaching, but it was his passion.

By the time he ascended to success with the Bears, he had earned the respect and admiration of players.

"He's a wizard," Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan said.

Desai is highly educated and a teacher
Desai holds degrees from Boston College, Columbia and Temple.

Desai holds degrees in philosophy and political science, biology, higher and postsecondary education and educational administration.

This is right in the wheelhouse of McDaniel, a history graduate of Yale.

Desai was an adjust professor at Temple for two years, where he holds a doctorate. Some players have referred to him as "Doc."

Desai even taught a "Leading Organizational Change" course at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Illinois.

This background successfully translates to football, of course.

“How he teaches is definitely clear and concise, which is a very important thing," Seattle defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said. "But also, as a teacher, he’s always thinking ahead. What is the next issue that’s going to come up, how people are going to attack you when you’re doing things a certain way. He’s very ahead when it comes to that, just thinking what is the next formula to come up with to solve the next problem? It makes him very unique.”

The Vic Fangio Factor
Desai coached at Temple, Miami and Boston College. He coached defense, special teams and even running backs.

He joined the Bears in 2013 as quality control coach and two years later, Fangio became defensive coordinator.

"We were both in the booth and he sat next to me," Desai said. "Well, I sat next to him, I should say. He got to choose where he wanted to sit. I was just put next to him."

Desai has credited Fangio for how he prepares, approaches the game, seeks buy-in from players and teaches them the 'whys.' Desai has spoken of the importance of distinct vision and identity.

In 2021, while Fangio was serving as Broncos head coach, Desai was promoted to Bears defensive coordinator. Chicago ranked sixth in the NFL in defense, despite key injuries to Khalil Mack, Danny Trevathan and Akiem Hicks.

Players have said Desai will sometimes literally sound like Fangio.

Scheme and coaching approach
Players have also said Desai is cerebral, enthusiastic and energetic.

Miami needs more sacks and more turnovers and Desai, like Fangio, puts emphasis on both. In Chicago, Desai introduced a "takeaway bucket" in training camp for players to dunk footballs after interceptions or fumble recoveries.

Fangio and Desai have operated multiple 3-4 defenses, so it's not like the Dolphins would need to totally revamp their personnel by hiring either. These coaches are known for disguising pass coverage and pass rush without overly-complicating things for the players.

"It's going to be something that's palpable, whether you're watching the tape, whether you're watching at home or whether you're in the stadium, and a thing that you can feel," Desai has said of a desired identity. "Our physicalness, you can feel toughness, you can feel discipline, you can feel a sense of swarming to the ball and finishing."

Desai is NFL's first coordinator of Indian descent
"I hadn't thought about it much in my life growing up, to be honest with you, but I've come to realize through being a dad, and really after being hired as a defensive coordinator and being the first of all these things, how important it is," Desai said in comments on Seahawks.com. "Because it's real. I mean, especially in this day and age where everything is so tangible and visual and all the information's right in front of you, people notice.

"So what representation means to me is that you have the ability to know that you can be in a position that you want to be in because there's people that are similar to you. And it doesn't necessarily mean, in my opinion, looks the same way as you, or has the same color skin as you. It could mean has similar personality traits, identifies a certain way, has similar interests.

"There could be people that say, 'Man, this guy's got a doctorate.' That's representation also. And so I think it covers such a wide array. And I think it's important for people to know and feel that they can fit in, in whatever environment that they're in."

Desai wrote an op-ed piece for The Athletic in 2020 that was a "call to action," encouraging people to engage in difficult, uncomfortable conversations with various leaders and to donate time and money to organizations that create access and equity for marginalized groups.

"What I believe in is openness, honesty, integrity," Desai said.

Joe Schad can be reached at [email protected]

[61finfan]

Dolphins interviewing Fangio and Desai today according to Ian Rappaport

[Idahomer]

Added Kris Richard to the slate as well per Oyeusi..

[Idahomer]

Daniel Oyefusi
@DanielOyefusi
·
1h
Can confirm the Dolphins are expected to interview Vic Fangio and Kris Richard for their DC opening. Brings the total of known candidates to four, joining Sean Desai and Anthony Campanile.

[Idahomer]

Dolphins request interview with Saints’ co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard


John Sigler
Wed, January 25, 2023 at 8:21 AM PST

Another interview request has come in for one of the New Orleans Saitns co-defensive coordinators. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Miami Dolphins are seeking permission to speak with Kris Richard, who held the co-DC position along with Ryan Nielsen last season. Before that promotion, Richard worked as the secondary coach while Nielsen coached the defensive line.

Richard has been a full-time coordinator before with the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys, and he’s been overqualified for the role in New Orleans for some time. He recently met with the Carolina Panthers about their defensive coordinator vacancy and it feels like only a matter of time before he moves on to bigger responsibilities.

And because he shares the co-coordinator title with Nielsen, the Saints can’t block Richard from any of these opportunities since it’s technically an advancement. Nielsen has interviewed with both the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons, too, so there’s a real possibility the Saints lose one or both of them to this hiring cycle. It’s something to monitor in the days ahead.

[PhinPhan68]

Daniel Oyefusi
@DanielOyefusi
·
1h
Can confirm the Dolphins are expected to interview Vic Fangio and Kris Richard for their DC opening. Brings the total of known candidates to four, joining Sean Desai and Anthony Campanile.

If the Dolphins hire Fangio I will make100 POSITIVE “Homer-Like” posts in your honor

I’ve been pissed off at the Dolphins lately and I know it’s showing on the board

[Idahomer]

If the Dolphins hire Fangio I will make100 POSITIVE “Homer-Like” posts in your honor

I’ve been pissed off at the Dolphins lately and I know it’s showing on the board

Yeah I'm avoiding you until you finish that "pissed in" bowl of cereal lol.. I'm with you on Fangio, would love to see it, but he's going to be able to pick his situation.. Good news is the situation in Miami is as good as any opening out there, so we should get a lot of thought from him.

[PhinPhan68]

LOL…….The funniest thing about your comment is that you’re not joking 🤣

[Idahomer]

It's just bad form when the cape crusaders argue..In order to remain the dynamic duo I have to give you some space when you get all grouchy about the squad 🤣🤣

[Idahomer]

Cameron Wolfe

@CameronWolfe
·
45m
Vic Fangio is a top DC candidate to watch for Dolphins, I’m told, as Mike McDaniel has admired Fangio and his scheme as an option to run Miami’s defense for a year now. Fangio has options. Dolphins will do plenty work still interviewing other good candidates. But worth watching: