Getty
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 22: Miami Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan speaks as Jeff Hafley is introduced during a press conference at Baptist Health Training Complex on January 22, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Miami Dolphins made a decision to move off general manager, Chris Grier and head coach, Mike McDaniel this offseason, replacing them with Packers alum, former VP Player Personnel, Jon-Eric Sullivan and ex-defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley.
Hafley has since gone on to assemble his staff around him on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
The most notable as which has been the ascension of former Houston Texans offensive coordinator and head coaching candidate, Bobby Slowik, from senior passing game coordinator to OC, replacing the departed Frank Smith.
However, coming with Slowik will be new offensive line coach, Zach Yenser, who most recently served as the assistant offensive line coach of the Texans, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
NEW: Dolphins hire ex-Texans and ex-49ers assistant Zach Yenser as new OL coach, per source
t.co/tuA3KTChu5
Details on his background, where things now stand as Hafley fills out his staff
“New Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley continued filling out his coaching staff on Wednesday, hiring Texans assistant Zach Yenser as Miami’s new offensive line coach, according to a league source.” Jackson wrote on January 28.
Jackson also noted that Hafley made a choice for the team’s new running back coach for this upcoming season.
“Also, a league source confirmed that former NFL running back Ladell Betts will be the Dolphins new running backs coach, replacing Eric Studesville. Betts just completed his first season in that capacity with the New York Giants.”
Dolphins OL Coach Has History With New OC
Yenser and Slowik overlapped for one year, in 2024, before Slowik was fired and subsequently hired by the Dolphins.
The pair also had crossed paths during their three shared years with the San Francisco 49ers, from 2019-2021, where Yenser served as assistant offensive line coach and Slowik served a variety of roles, including offensive pass game specialist and offensive passing game coordinator.
Interestingly, Yenser and Hafley technically did not overlap during their time in San Francisco. Hafley left after three years with the franchise as defensive backs coach, from 2016-2018, to become the defensive coordinator at Ohio State – whilst Yenser arrived in Santa Clara in 2019.
What Does Zach Yenser Bring to the Offensive Line?
Although it is not one of the “big three” coaching jobs – head coach, offensive and defensive coordinator – offensive line coach is sneakily a vastly underrated position.
Multiple great teams of the past few decades have been anchored by an elite OL coach. The New England Patriots‘ offensive line, for example, started to fall apart once legendary coach, Dante Scarnecchia, stepped away from football. And the Cleveland Browns‘ once formidable O-line has not been the same since Bill Callahan moved his services elsewhere.
Yenser had success as offensive line coach with the University of Kentucky, during his stint from 2022 – 2023, and the offensive line in San Francisco during his tenure was amongst the best in the NFL. Although it is worth saying that between left tackle, Trent Williams and the scheme of head coach, Kyle Shanahan, it is rarely a poorly performing unit.
Whilst he has not managed to bring quite that level of success over the past two years in Houston, the chips were up against him, given the very poor personnel quality of the unit and the numerous historical struggles of the Texans at the position.
The Dolphins will hope that Yenser can help elevate some of the team’s top talents, such as Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer, and help the unit surpass its middle-of-the-pack status that achieved in 2025.
Daniel Arwas Daniel Arwas is a sports writer who covers the NFL for Heavy.com. Daniel began his career in sports writing in 2022 and has covered the NFL and college football for Gridiron Heroics and The Hammer. More about Daniel Arwas
More Heavy on Dolphins
Loading more stories