A new report indicates that the Miami Dolphins will be interviewing Los Angeles Chargers offensive line coach Frank Smith for the team’s offensive coordinator position.
The #Dolphins are interviewing #Chargers run game coordinator/OL coach Frank Smith today for their offensive coordinator job, source said. Smith has a strong history developing tight ends and O-linemen, including turning around L.A.’s unit last season.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 12, 2022
Smith has plenty of coaching experience within the NFL, and his success as a member of the Chargers’ coaching staff has certainly gotten the attention of the Dolphins.
Smith coached the New Orleans Saints’ offensive line from 2010 to 2014. He subsequently followed that with stints as a tight ends coach for the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.
This season, his first with the Chargers, the team narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Its last loss of the season came in painful fashion, losing to the Raiders in overtime in the final week of the regular season.
Despite that crushing defeat, Smith’s role on offense contributed to the team scoring 474 points. That was fifth-best in the NFL during the regular season.
New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is clearly looking for someone who can help him get the most out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The signal-caller is going to enter his third season and is still looking to lead the Dolphins to the postseason.
While Smith’s coaching background is the most germane aspect of this interview, he has one notable connection from his collegiate days. As a member of the Miami University offensive line two decades ago, he was responsible for protecting the recently retired Ben Roethlisberger.
There’s certainly no guarantee that Smith will ultimately be selected as the new offensive coordinator of the Dolphins. However, his continued growth as a coach is worth noting and will make this hiring process interesting to watch.
