The Miami Dolphins have gone through some massive organizational changes this offseason, parting ways with star players, coaches and executives as they enter a rebuild.
But the shuffling has also led to a number of additions to the franchise, and the latest appears to be an analytics hire.
Savan Patel will join the team’s analytics department as a staff assistant, according to social media rumblings and an official post on his LinkedIn.
The Miami Dolphins added Rice U. grad Savan Patel to their analytics department as a Football Analytics staff assistant
At Rice, he was a scout assistant, studied Statistics & Sport Analytics, and interned with the Houston Astros last summer per @nerdquality_
— Hussam Patel (@HussamPatel) June 4, 2026
Patel, who graduated from Rice University with a background in sports analytics and statistics, has experience in the industry. He served as a player development intern with the Houston Astros in 2025, and he spent several years as an intern with the Rice football program, working in video operations, recruiting and scouting.
He will now join a Dolphins organization that could certainly use some fresh perspective after missing the playoffs in two straight seasons and deciding to push the reset button.
During his time with the Rice football team, Patel was part of a program that reached three bowl games, though the Owls came up short in each of them. The Dolphins, similarly, have reached the postseason at times in recent years (in the 2022 and 2023 seasons) but are still looking for their first postseason win in quite some time.
Miami is unlikely to end that drought this coming season, but any signs of a healthy rebuild would be welcomed. The Dolphins finished below .500 in each of the last two seasons despite having playoff aspirations, which prompted the organization to pull the plug on the saga and start over.
New faces at quarterback (Malik Willis), head coach (Jeff Hafley) and general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan) are among the changes in place for Miami. Hopefully, some of the other additions the team has made will help it get over the hump at some point down the line, and the hire of Patel will bring a new voice to the analytics room, an important area of any organization.
The Dolphins will open their 2026 season in a little over three months when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road.
