Dolphins fire defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, make other staff changes
The Miami Dolphins parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer on Thursday, the team announced.
Boyer’s third season leading the Dolphins defense was a disappointment. A group expected to be one of the better units in the league finished the 2022 regular season 30th in takeaways, 27th in pass defense, 24th in scoring defense and third-down defense and 18th in total defense.
“I am grateful for Josh’s contributions this year and throughout his tenure with the Dolphins,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said in a statement. “The defense made strides through the season, so coming to this decision was not easy, but ultimately I feel it is in the best long-term interests of the Miami Dolphins and the continued growth of our players and team.”
Miami also announced safeties coach Steve Gregory, outside linebackers coach Ty McKenzie and assistant linebackers coach Steve Ferentz were relieved of their duties.
The decision came after Miami’s season ended in a 34-31 AFC wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills where the Dolphins, despite being two-touchdown underdogs, hung tight with the Bills. While Boyer’s defense surrendered 423 yards to Buffalo’s high-powered offense led by quarterback Josh Allen, it forced three key turnovers and scored on one of them.
McDaniel, who will now hire a defensive coordinator for the first time, seemed to come away impressed with the defense’s finish after the tight loss in Orchard Park and 11-6 win in the regular-season finale to get into the postseason, keeping the New York Jets out of the end zone.
“I was very, very proud of the defense, the coaching staff and the players on, specifically, the very end of the season,” McDaniel said in his Monday season wrap-up media session. “I think the last three regular-season games, in a place of adversity, they found their best self, I think. I couldn’t be prouder of [Sunday], specifically.”
Names for a replacement will come out in the coming days, but a top choice could be longtime NFL defensive coordinator and one-time Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. The Dolphins were interested in him last offseason after coach Mike McDaniel was hired, but a deal couldn’t be reached and Boyer was retained as a holdover from the Brian Flores era. Fangio, though, who is currently a defensive consultant with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been linked to coveted head coach Sean Payton, who is a hot commodity in this hiring cycle.
Boyer became Dolphins defensive coordinator in 2020 after following Flores to Miami in 2019 as cornerbacks coach. He and Flores were longtime members of the same coaching staff with the New England Patriots.
The Miami defense underperformed in 2022 after impressive campaigns the previous two seasons. Those years, though, Boyer had Flores to lean on. Gerald Alexander, Dolphins defensive backs coach under Flores and Boyer, also played an intricate role in the success of those units, and he was not retained last offseason.
Beyond Boyer, there were other factors that led to the demise of Miami’s defense in 2022.
The unit never had cornerback Byron Jones, who remained on the physically-unable-to-perform list after lower left leg surgery last March.
The defense then lost defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, safety Brandon Jones and cornerback Nik Needham to various season-ending injuries. Cornerback Xavien Howard, despite making the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career, was not his usual self, playing through groin and knee injuries.
The Dolphins made a trade-deadline move, acquiring edge rusher Bradley Chubb for their remaining first-round pick in the 2023 draft. He had 3 1/2 sacks after the early November move, including one in Sunday’s playoff loss.
Boyer didn’t use any of those excuses when asked about his job security heading into the regular season’s final week.
“I think you have to adapt to what you have available to you,” he said then. “I’m sure there’s other teams that are dealing with quality players that are not there, and they have to adapt and deal with that. None of us are promised tomorrow.”
He seemed to be at peace with whatever decision was forthcoming early in the offseason.
“I think more of, like, Lou Gehrig on July [4], 1939. I feel like the luckiest man on earth. I do,” Boyer said in an impassioned moment speaking to reporters Jan. 5, channeling the New York Yankees legend’s famed farewell speech after retiring due to being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
“And whatever comes my way, I’ll be okay. And whatever comes our way, we’ll be okay. But we’re going to keep moving forward.”
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