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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Quinn Ewers #14 of the Miami Dolphins in action during the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
After hiring head coach Jeff Hafley, the Miami Dolphins have begun the process of filling out their coaching staff. The team will look very different than it has in years past as former head coach Mike McDaniel has taken some of his former assistants over with him to run the Chargers offense. Meanwhile, former offensive coordinator Frank Smith was hired by the Vikings as their assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
The Dolphins offense will try to maintain some continuity as they hired Bobby Slowik to be their new offensive coordinator. Slowik was the Dolphins’ pass-game coordinator in the 2025 season after serving for three years as the Texans offensive coordinator. Miami has already brought in Tyke Tobert as their new wide receivers coach, and former head coach Nathaniel Hackett as the quarterbacks coach. Now, a new member has joined the team in a role he served for them under Mike McDaniel back in 2022.
Miami Dolphins Hire Offensive Line Coach
CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that the Dolphins are hiring Matt Applebaum as their offensive line coach. He previously held that role with the Dolphins in 2022, but was fired by Mike McDaniel after his lone season in Miami. According to Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson, “One Dolphins lineman said in December that Applebaum, Jeanpierre and Smith seemed to complement each other well, offering different perspectives and input to the team’s linemen. But McDaniel preferred to find someone else to lead the offensive line room.” Mike McDaniel later explained that he felt offensive coordinator Frank Smith had become too involved with the offensive line and needed someone to alleviate his duties, a role he perhaps felt Applebaum could not provide.
The Dolphins replaced him with Butch Barry, who held the role for three seasons before joining McDaniel with the Chargers.
Under Applebaum, the Dolphins were 27th in the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2022. In 2023, with Barry, the team improved to seventh. Of course, not all of the rushing attack falls on the shoulders of the offensive line coach. But the team did not have a potent rushing attack under him despite having Pro Bowl-caliber play out of linemen Terron Armstead and Connor Williams. They were in the top 10 in sacks allowed that season, but that could also be attributed to Miami’s quick passing game that did not feature long-developing pass plays.
Experience With Jeff Hafley
Applebaum makes sense for the Dolphins. He’s familiar with the scheme the Dolphins are looking to run. Despite moving off McDaniel, the team will continue to have a Shanahan style offense as offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik comes from that same coaching tree.
Additionally, Applebaum is familiar with new head coach Jeff Hafley. After the Dolphins fired him, he became the offensive line coach at Boston College, where Hafley was the team’s head coach. They spent the 2023 season together at Boston College, before Hafley rejoined the NFL as the Packers defensive coordinator. Applebaum stayed at Boston College once Hafley left, but was let go after the 2025 season.
The Dolphins are the only team that has hired Applebaum as their offensive line coach. He has held that role for two different college programs.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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