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The Miami Dolphins announced Thursday they fired defensive coordinator Josh Boyer.
“I’m grateful for Josh’s contributions this 12 months and all through his tenure with the Dolphins,” head coach Mike McDaniel mentioned. “The protection made strides by way of the season, so coming to this determination was not straightforward, however in the end I really feel it’s in the most effective long-term pursuits of the Miami Dolphins and the continued development of our gamers and staff.”
The franchise additionally let safeties coach Steve Gregory, exterior linebackers coach Ty McKenzie and assistant linebackers coach Steve Ferentz go.
Boyer was a holdover from the earlier regime. He joined Miami as its cornerbacks coach in 2019 when Brian Flores turned the top coach. The 45-year-old was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020.
Sustaining continuity between head coaches could be useful underneath the best circumstances. Retaining Boyer was reportedly an unpopular determination contained in the Miami locker room, although.
“I can let you know this as a reality. Gamers on protection are usually not very happy with Josh Boyer being named defensive coordinator,” the Solar Sentinel‘s Omar Kelly reported final February (by way of Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Publish).
Kelly added the gamers felt Boyer’s general plan “didn’t result in success final 12 months.”
The Dolphins proceeded to permit 337.8 yards (18th) and 23.5 factors (twenty fourth) per recreation, and so they ranked fifteenth in defensive effectivity, per Football Outsiders.
Whereas Miami wasn’t one of many NFL’s worst defensive groups, the unit was dangerous sufficient to justify a change at coordinator.
Primarily based on Thursday’s personnel strikes, McDaniel felt it was time to make an much more intensive overhaul of his defensive workers.
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