ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler was asked about former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, and his chances of landing a head coaching job. Fowler said “If Miami opens, remember that Joseph was a finalist for the Dolphins job that went to Mike McDaniel in 2022 and is still well-regarded there.”
Aside from being a head coaching finalist in 2022, Vance Joseph served under Adam Gase in 2016 as the team’s defensive coordinator. He would depart following the year as the Broncos made him their head coach in 2017.
Vance Joseph’s Candidacy
Following his two-year stint as a head coach in Denver, in which he went 11-21, Joseph has been one of the premier defensive coordinators in the NFL. He was Arizona’s defensive coordinator for four seasons, before being released from his contract once head coach Kliff Kingsbury was fired.
His tenure in Arizona was solid. In each of his first three seasons, his defense improved, until a poor final season resulted in the Cardinals changing coaching staffs. Despite his mediocre job leading the Cardinals’ defense in 2021, the Dolphins opted to bring him in for a head coaching interview in 2022.
In 2022, Pro Football Network reported that “As much as (Chris) Grier likes Joseph, Ross won’t sign off on the hire except as a fallback plan. We were told that two or three others would have to decline Miami’s offer first.” Eventually, the Dolphins chose Mike McDaniel for its head coaching job. With Chris Grier now gone from the organization, perhaps the interest in him has declined; however, Miami may want to look into someone with head coaching experience.
In 2022, Joseph went back to Denver, and became the team’s defensive coordinator. He is currently behind one of the NFL’s top defenses. The Broncos rank fourth with 18.1 points per game allowed. Perhaps most impressive is that Denver leads the league with 55 sacks, which puts it on pace to tie the single season NFL sack record set by the Bears in 1984. Last year, Denver already set its single-season franchise record with 63 sacks. Vance Joseph’s heavy blitzing scheme is one of the main reasons for this.
Mike McDaniel’s Job Security
Of course, none of this will prove relevant if the Miami Dolphins opt to stick with Mike McDaniel following the year. At 2-7, the Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier and many expected him to be the next chip to follow. Owner Stephen Ross opted to stick with McDaniel, at least throughout the remainder of the season. According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Ross “still believes in the coach he hired in 2022 and extended last year.”
Following their 2-7 start, the Dolphins have now won four games in a row and are mathematically still “in the hunt.” This latest stretch has increased McDaniel’s chances of remaining with the team next season, but it would require Ross to ask a general manager to enter a situation with an already set head coach at the helm.
For what it’s worth, under McDaniel the Dolphins have faced off against a Vance Joseph led defense once. It resulted in the Dolphins breaking their franchise record and scoring 70 points.
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