Former Dolphins Players Get New Roles in College Football

Brian Hartline, Pat White and Nate Garner are among former Dolphins players hired to new positions recently

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline (82) against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field during the 2014 season. | Andrew Weber-Imagn Images

Brian Hartline was a very solid wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins during his seven seasons with the team, but by the time he's done his coaching career might eclipse anything he ever did as a player.

Hartline is taking another big step forward in his coaching career, with news that he will be calling plays for defending national champion Ohio State next season.

This will mark the third season that Hartline has the title of offensive coordinator, but it was head coach Ryan Day who called plays in 2023 and Chip Kelly handled that role last year before he took a job with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

“Some guys would say, wait a minute, I’m going somewhere else. He didn’t name me the coordinator,” Day told Columbus TV station WBNS, via CFB-HQ. “Now, he’s going to be coordinator. Now he’s going to call plays. That loyalty and that patience is going to pay off, and I think he’s going to be the best coordinator in the country.”

Hartline already has earned praise for helping bring star wide receivers to Ohio State and helping them develop into big-time NFL prospects, a list that includes Garrett Wilson, Jackson Smith-Njiba, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr., 2025 draft prospect Emeka Egbuka and 2024 freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith.

In 2020, Hartline was named to the AFCA "35 Under 35" Leadership Institute, which annually recognizes the future leaders in the football coaching profession.

Hartline, who turned 38 in November, certainly has the look of a future head coach.

Hartline played for the Dolphins from 2009-14 and had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons before finishing his playing career with the Cleveland Browns in 2015. After a year out of football, he joined Ohio State as a graduate assistant in 2017 and has been with the Buckeyes ever since.

OTHER FORMER DOLPHINS PLAYERS GET NEW ROLES

Elsewhere, West Virginia University announced Wednesday it was bringing back school legend Pat White to serve as assistant quarterbacks coach/assistant to head coach Rich Rodriguez.

White worked as an athlete/skill trainer and coach last year after spending the previous two years as an offensive assistant with the L.A. Chargers.

White, of course, was a second-round pick of the Dolphins in 2009 and he played in 13 games as a rookie, which was the extent of his NFL playing career.

Meanwhile, former Dolphins cornerback Terrell Buckley and former Miami offensive lineman Nate Garner were named earlier this offseason as the new head coaches at Mississippi Valley State and North Greenville University in South Carolina, respectively.

NEW ERA 🔴🟢 #Mississippimade pic.twitter.com/PCmmXceFPy

— Mississippi Valley State University Football 🟢🔴 (@ValleyStateFB) February 5, 2025

Welcome @Nate_Garner_75 the 10th head coach in @NGUFootball1 history. #Trailblazers pic.twitter.com/ScSLOOdH6w

— North Greenville University Athletics (@NGUAthletics_) January 14, 2025

Buckley had two different stints with the Dolphins (1995-99, 2003) and had 24 interceptions with Miami.

Garner played 74 games with 19 starters in five seasons (2009-14) with the Dolphins.

Among other former Dolphins players coaching in college football are Randy Starks (head coach at Eureka College), Patrick Surtain (DB coach at Florida State) and Dion Jordan (assistant head coach with Starks at Eureka College).