New Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Sean Duggan will be taking a big step forward in his coaching career in his new job.<\/p>\n
The former Boston College linebacker has never served in that capacity in college or the NFL, his two years in the league spent with the Green Bay Packers as a defensive assistant in 2024 and then linebackers coach in 2025. He does have a long history with new head coach Jeff Hafley dating back to their one season together at Ohio State in 2019.<\/p>\n
While every coach is different and there’s no way to tell for certain what kind of defensive coordinator Duggan will become for the Dolphins, we decided to look back at every DC hire the team has made since they joined the NFL in 1970 as a point of reference.<\/p>\n
DOLPHINS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR HISTORY2024-25 \u2014\u00a0Anthony Weaver<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after spending two seasons as Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach\/defensive line coach … Had an eight-year NFL playing career and had coached for four other teams, including one season as defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 10th in total defense to fourth in Weaver’s first season, though the takeaways dropped from 27 to 16. The Dolphins tumbled to 22nd in total defense in 2025 and finished with 20 takeaways.<\/p>\n
2023 \u2014 Vic Fangio<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after a year out of the NFL … Had extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and had been a head coach for three seasons.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 18th in total defense to 10th in Fangio’s one season.<\/p>\n
2020-22 \u2014 Josh Boyer<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Was promoted from pass game coordinator\/cornerbacks coach … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 30th in total defense to 20th in Boyer’s first season before ranking 15th and 18th. The Dolphins also went from 32nd in points allowed in 2019 to sixth in 2020.<\/p>\n
2019 \u2014 Patrick Graham<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as linebackers coach\/run game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers in 2019 … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 29th in total defense to 30th in Graham’s one season, which involved the franchise’s massive rebuilding project.<\/p>\n
2017-18 \u2014 Matt Burke<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Was promoted from linebackers coach … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 29th in total defense to 16th in Burke’s first season but went from 13th to 29th in points allowed. The Dolphins were back to 29th in yards allowed allowed but back down to 11th in points allowed in 2018.<\/p>\n
2016 \u2014 Vance Joseph<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as Cincinnati Bengals DB coach in 2014-15 … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 25th in total defense to 29th in Joseph’s one season but improved from 18th to 13th in points allowed.<\/p>\n
2012-15 \u2014 Kevin Coyle<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as Cincinnati Bengals DB coach in 2003-11 … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 15th in total defense to 21th in Coyle’s first season and from sixth to seventh in points allowed. The Dolphins were 8th in fewest points allowed in 2013 but never higher than 12th in yards allowed during Coyle’s tenure.<\/p>\n
2010-11 \u2014 Mike Nolan<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as Denver Broncos defensive coordinator in 2009 … Had extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and had been a head coach for four seasons.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 22nd in total defense to sixth in Nolan’s first season and from 25th to 14th in points allowed. The Dolphins improved all the way to sixth in points allowed in 2011, though they fell to 15th in yards allowed.<\/p>\n
2008-09 \u2014 Paul Pasqualoni<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as Dallas Cowboys linebackers coach in 2006-07 … Had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach, though he had served as head coach at Syracuse for 14 seasons<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 30th in in scoring defense to ninth in Pasqualoni’s first season and from 23rd to 15th in total defense.<\/p>\n
2007 \u2014 Dom Capers<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Capers got the title of defensive coordinator after serving in 2006 as Special Assistant to the Head Coach when Nick Saban didn’t have an official defensive coordinator on his staff … Had extensive experience as both an NFL head coach (eight seasons) and defensive coordinator (five seasons).<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 18th in total defense to fourth and from 15th to fifth in scoring defense after Capers took over as Special Assistant to the Head Coach, but dropped to 23rd and 30th during the nightmarish 1-15 season of 2007.<\/p>\n
2005 \u2014 Richard Smith<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as linebackers coach for the Detroit Lions in 2003-04 … Had no NFL experience as a defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 20th in scoring defense to 15th in Smith’s one season, though they dropped from 8th to 18th in yards allowed.<\/p>\n
2000-04 \u2014 Jim Bates<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as D-line coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 1998-99 … had served as a defensive coordinator for one season for the Atlanta Falcons (1994) along with one season as a head coach in the USFL.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 19th to third in fewest points allowed in Bates’ first season. They ranked in the top 10 in total defense in all five of Bates’ years as DC and in the top 10 in scoring defense three times (11th another time).<\/p>\n
1996-99 \u2014 George Hill<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Was promoted from linebackers coach after Jimmy Johnson replaced Don Shula as head coach… had served as a defensive coordinator for four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts from 1985-88.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 10th to 17th in scoring defense in Hill’s first season and from 16th in 17th in total defense, but they were 1st in scoring defense and 3rd in yards allowed in 1998.<\/p>\n
1987-95 \u2014 Tom Olivadotti<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as DB coach for the Cleveland Browns in 1986 … had no prior NFL experience as a defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from 26th to 16th in fewest points allowed in Olivadotti’s first season, though they remained 26th in yards allowed. They ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and total defense once during Olivadotti’s tenure, in 1990.<\/p>\n
1984-86 \u2014 Chuck Studley<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as defensive coordinator and interim head coach of the Houston Oilers in 1983 … also had served as DC for the 49ers from 1979-82.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins dropped from first in the NFL in scoring defense to seventh in Studley’s first year and from seventh to 19th in yards allowed. The statistical results were progressively worse the next two seasons.<\/p>\n
1976-83 \u2014 Bill Arnsparger<\/p>\n
Previous resume: This was Arnsparger’s second stint as Dolphins DC as he returned after spending two-plus seasons as head coach of the New York Giants.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins dropped from 4th to 15th in fewest points and 6th to 26th in total defense in Arnsparger’s first year back (after the team didn’t have an official DC in 1975), but the defense just keep getting better. The Dolphins led the NFL in total defense in 1982 and in scoring defense in 1983.<\/p>\n
1974 \u2014 Vince Costello<\/p>\n
Previous resume: Joined the Dolphins after serving as linebackers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1969-73 … he had no prior NFL experience as a DC or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins went from first to sixth in scoring defense in Costello’s one season and from third to eighth in total yards allowed.<\/p>\n
1970-73 \u2014 Bill Arnsparger<\/p>\n
Previous resume: First joined the Dolphins when Don Shula brought him from the Baltimore Colts, where he had served as defensive line coach from 1964-69 … had no prior experience as an NFL defensive coordinator or head coach.<\/p>\n
Results: The Dolphins finished fifth in scoring defense in their first season in the NFL (after the AFL-NFL merger) before ending up first in both 1972 and 1973 (their two Super Bowl-winning seasons). The Dolphins were first in scoring defense and total defense in 1972.<\/p>\n
More Miami Dolphins Coverage:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Sean Duggan will be taking a big step forward in his coaching career…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":722505,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2049],"tags":[217,7,216,251,2087,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-722504","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-miami-dolphins","8":"tag-dolphins","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-miami","11":"tag-miami-dolphins","12":"tag-miamidolphins","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115997981202393732","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=722504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/722504\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/722505"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=722504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=722504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=722504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}