Another Former Assistant Finds Work While We Wait for 2026 Staff Completion

New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley continues working on finalizing his staff

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa works with quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell prior to the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in 2024. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

It's been a week since new Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said while introducing his three main coordinators at a press conference that he was close to finalizing his staff for the 2026 season.

Seven days later and three days after the 2025 season officially wrapped up with the Seattle Seahawks' victory against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, there still has been no announcement on the completed staff.

By all accounts and reporting, the key positions that still need to be filled are quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach after Nathaniel Hackett left to become offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals after agreeing to come in as QB coach to replace Darrell Bevell and the decision was made to move on from tight ends coach Jon Embree, who also served as assistant head coach.

Besides the three main coordinators introduced Wednesday — Bobby Slowik, Sean Duggan and Chris Tabor — newcomers on the staff are expected to include Ryan Downard, Wendel Davis, Tyke Tolbert, Ladell Betts, Al Washington, Jahmile Addae, Darius Eubanks, Zach Yesner and Matt Applebaum, along with holdovers Austin Clark, Joe Barry, DeShawn Shead as well as Slowik.

BEVELL FINDS A JOB

Bevell, who joined Mike McDaniel in 2022, became the latest high-profile Dolphins assistant to land a new job for 2026 on Wednesday with reports he would be joining the Carolina Panthers as assistant head coach/pass game coordinator.

It will be a seventh team for Bevell since he began coaching in the NFL in 2000 with the Green Bay Packers (of all teams).

In Carolina, Bevell will be reunited with head coach Dave Canales, who was with him on the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff from 2011-17 when Bevell was the offensive coordinator and Canales was the wide receivers coach.

Along with the Dolphins, Green Bay and Seattle, Bevell also has coached with the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars. Bevell had stints as an interim head coach with both Detroit and Jacksonville.

This is going to be some homecoming when the Miami Dolphins face the L.A. Chargers at Hard Rock Stadium next season.

OTHER DOLPHINS DEPARTURES

The Bevell news comes two days after former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase returned to the NFL in the role of pass game coordinator for the L.A. Chargers, where he will work with McDaniel on Jim Harbaugh's staff.

Gase was 23-25 in his three seasons as Dolphins head coach, guiding the team to the playoffs in his first year in 2016, and was fired after a 7-9 finish in 2018.

The Chargers also have added offensive line coach Butch Barry off McDaniel's staff and reports surfaced Monday indicating they're expected to hire run game specialist Chandler Henley.

That news coincided with another report indicating the Chargers would be moving on from run game coordinator/tight ends coach Andy Bischoff, which could pave the way for former McDaniel assistant Jon Embree to rejoin him in L.A.

Oh, and did we mention that the Chargers' offensive staff already included QB coach Shane Day, who was Miami's tight ends coach under Gase all three seasons.

FACING FORMER HEAD COACHES

That Chargers-Miami game at Hard Rock Stadium will mark the first time the Dolphins face one of its former head coaches since 2022 when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 16-10, in a Sunday night game at Hard Rock Stadium with Brian Flores serving as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach.

Prior to that, the Dolphins were 3-1 against Gase when he was head coach of the Jets, with a split in 2019 and two decisive victories (24-0, 20-3) in 2020.

The Dolphins are 1-1 against Joe Philbin since he was fired as head coach, with a loss against the Green Bay Packers in 2018 and a win against the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 when Philbin was an assistant for both those teams.

Philbin, incidentally, is looking for a new team after the Raiders let him go as senior offensive assistant.

Who knows, maybe he'll be joining the Chargers too.

2025 DOLPHINS COACHES AND THEIR 2026 ROLES

Head coach Mike McDaniel — L.A. Chargers offensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver — Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator Frank Smith — Minnesota Vikings, assistant head coach
Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman — Atlanta Falcons, special teams coordinator
Associate head coach/running backs Eric Studesville — Chicago Bears, running backs coach
Assistant head coach/tight ends Jon Embree — TBD
Senior pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik — Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator
Quarterbacks/pass game coordinator Darrell Bevell — Carolina Panthers, assistant head coach/pass game coordinator
Wide receivers coach Robert Prince — Atlanta Falcons, wide receivers coach
Offensive line coach Butch Barry — L.A. Chargers, offensive line coach
Defensive line coach Austin Clark — Miami Dolphins, defensive line coach
Linebackers coach/run game coordinator Joe Barry — Miami Dolphins
Pass game coordinator/secondary Brian Duker — New York Jets, defensive coordinator
Cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo — Jacksonville Jaguars, defensive pass game coordinator
Senior defensive assistant Sean Ryan — Syracuse University, QB coach