Report: 5 Miami Dolphins coaches seen as candidates to be poached sooner or later

On Wednesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared a list of 22 young coaches who could draw interest for open head-coaching positions across the league in the 2025 hiring cycle.

The list was compiled following a number of conversations with people around the NFL. Among the nearly two dozen names mentioned for the upcoming cycle were a pair of folks who currently work for the Miami Dolphins.

For one, Pelissero brought up Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. Under his leadership, Miami had one of the most lethal offenses in the NFL during the 2023 regular season. The Dolphins led the league in total yards per game (401.3) and passing yards per game (265.5) a season ago.

“A 15th-year NFL coaching veteran, Smith is in his third year on Mike McDaniel’s staff in Miami, where he’s involved in all aspects of running the program, preparing him for his own shot whenever it comes,” Pelissero wrote. “While McDaniel calls the plays, Smith is heavily involved in all aspects of game-planning with a Dolphins offense that’s finally getting healthy. Smith’s close relationships with players at past stops and role in developing the likes of TE Darren Waller and LT Rashawn Slater speak to his strong personal skills. (Dolphins star Tyreek Hill recently reposted last year’s NFLPA survey results that ranked Smith as the league’s No. 1 offensive coordinator, adding his own endorsement: ‘frank one of them ones.’) The [Carolina] Panthers and [Seattle] Seahawks interviewed Smith for their head-coaching vacancies last January.”

Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was also among the coaches mentioned. He’s in his first season working for McDaniel in Miami.

“Having played seven seasons in the league as a defensive lineman, Weaver is now in his 13th year as an NFL assistant coach, serving two years as Baltimore’s assistant head coach before becoming Miami’s defensive coordinator this past offseason,” Pelissero wrote. “Despite key injuries and free-agent departures, the Dolphins’ defense currently ranks in the top 10 in third-down rate, pass defense and total yards allowed. And Weaver has a tremendous presence, as evidenced in his head-coaching interviews last year with the [Washington] Commanders and [Atlanta] Falcons, who both brought him in for a second meeting.”

Additionally, there were multiple Dolphins coaches mentioned in the “future years” section, a portion dedicated to coaches to watch in the future. For the Dolphins, defensive line coach Austin Clark, outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow and pass game coordinator/secondary coach Brian Duker were all named.

When factoring in all of the Miami coaches who could be threats to get poached in the near future or down the line, folks around the league seem to think highly of the team’s coaching staff.

Folks like Smith and Weaver have the Dolphins playing great football at the moment after injury woes (particularly at quarterback) marred the team for much of the first half of the 2024 regular season. Miami has won each of its last two games and has fared well on both sides of the ball during that span.

In the squad’s most recent win, which came against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 17, Miami’s offense scored 34 points while its defensive unit limited Las Vegas to 19 points. Against the Los Angeles Rams roughly one week earlier, the Dolphins won by a final score of 23-15.

At 4-6, the squad still has a pulse in the playoff race. Two of Miami’s next three contests on its regular-season schedule will come against teams below the .500 mark.

The Dolphins will play the New England Patriots on Nov. 24 and take on the New York Jets on Dec. 8, with a tough test sandwiched between against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 28.