The Miami Dolphins are one step closer to a full coaching staff under new coach Mike McDaniel.
The Dolphins hired Tyrone McKenzie as their new outside linebackers coach, a league source confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel late Tuesday night.
McKenzie replaces Rob Leonard in that role with the Dolphins after Leonard took the same job with the Baltimore Ravens. The McKenzie hire was first reported by NFL Network.
With the Dolphins also working toward hiring Darrell Bevell as quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator, according to multiple reports on Tuesday night, if all reported hires come to fruition, Miami is now one coach away from a full coaching staff.
That job would go to a defensive backs coach after Gerald Alexander was fired by McDaniel last week. The coaching hires under McDaniel have not yet been officially announced by the Dolphins.
McKenzie is a former linebacker who was a third-round pick out of the University of South Florida by the New England Patriots in 2009. He was also with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings. Outside of the 2012 season in Minnesota, he spent most of his playing career on practice squads; that year, he made 12 tackles on special teams.
McKenzie broke into the coaching ranks as an assistant special teams coach with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. He was inside linebackers coach with the Tennessee Titans in 2018 and 2019, linebackers coach with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and spent the 2021 season with the Indianapolis Colts.
On the defensive side of the coaching staff, McDaniel already retained defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, defensive line coach Austin Clark, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile and cornerbacks coach Charles Burks. Only the defensive backs role vacated by Alexander remains.
Hiring Bevell would complete the Dolphins’ offensive coaching staff. Miami will also have assistant position coaches below the primary coaching staff.