The Miami Dolphins are hiring Frank Smith as their offensive coordinator, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday.
Smith most recently served as the Los Angeles Chargers run game coordinator/offensive line coach under Brandon Staley. Now he'll be the right hand man to new Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, himself a former run game coordinator under 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. McDaniel, though, said at his introductory presser last week that he will call the offensive plays.
Before joining the Chargers in 2021, Smith worked as tight ends coach with the Raiders (2018-20) and Bears (2015-17) and as assistant offensive line coach with the Saints (2010-14). In all, Smith has spent 12 years as an NFL coach.
Smith will be tasked with improving a Dolphins run game that ranked 30th in yards per game (92.2) and 31st in yards per carry (3.5) and a total offense that ranked 28th in yards per play (4.8) in 2021. He'll also oversee the growth of third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in whom McDaniel and the Dolphins regime have so far expressed confidence.
"I'm not sitting here concerned with how good Tua can be," McDaniel said at his introductory news conference last week. "I'm concerned with, as a collective unit, what we can grow together because that's what wins football games."
