Dolphins request to interview Bills’ offensive coordinator, Tua’s former coach
The Miami Dolphins have reportedly requested permission to interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for their head coaching job. Daboll has a playoff game against the New England Patriots to coach on Saturday night. From 2013 to 2016, he was tight ends coach for the Patriots, while Flores was a defensive assistant on the same staff under...
The Miami Dolphins have reportedly requested permission to interview Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for their head coaching job.
Daboll has held that role with the Bills since 2018 and has been instrumental in developing quarterback Josh Allen in Buffalo. Before that, he was Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2017, current Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s freshman college season when they won the national title.
The Dolphins’ request to interview Daboll was first reported by NFL Network on Monday night after Miami fired coach Brian Flores on Monday morning.
Daboll has a playoff game against the New England Patriots to coach on Saturday night. The Chicago Bears are also requesting to interview him, according to ESPN and NFL Network, after they fired coach Matt Nagy on Monday.
Daboll was AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2020.
Among his previous stops, Daboll was Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011, coach Tony Sparano’s final year at the helm. He also held NFL coordinator roles with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012 and Cleveland Browns in 2009 and 2010. From 2013 to 2016, he was tight ends coach for the Patriots, while Flores was a defensive assistant on the same staff under coach Bill Belichick.
Daboll would mark a switch to an offensive-minded head coach after Flores made his mark in the NFL mostly on defense before getting his first head coaching position with Miami. He also has experience with Tagovailoa, who just completed his second NFL season.
Under Daboll in 2017 at Alabama, Tagovailoa played in eight games, completing 63.6 percent of passes with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions as the primary backup to starter and current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts was benched for Tagovailoa at halftime of that season’s College Football Playoff national championship game, and Tagovailoa threw the game-winning touchdown to DeVonta Smith. It set the stage for Tagovailoa to then unseat Hurts the next season, leading him to become a top draft prospect when he became eligible in 2020.
Daboll has been part of five Super Bowl champions with the Patriots — two during his time as tight ends coach and part of the 2001, 2003 and 2004 champions. He was wide receivers coach in New England from 2002 to 2006 and a defensive assistant from 2000 to 2001.
Daboll has also been New York Jets quarterbacks coach in 2007 and 2008, and before he first joined the Patriots, he was a graduate assistant at Michigan State in 1998 and 1999 and a volunteer assistant ant William & Mary in 1997.
This story will be updated.