The Miami Dolphins revealed that they promoted from within for their vacant safeties coach position on the staff and retained last season’s struggling offensive line coach — with a demotion — in the team’s announcement of its full coaching staff Friday afternoon.
Steve Gregory will coach Dolphins safeties under new coach Mike McDaniel after he held the title of coaching assistant on last year’s Brian Flores-led team. Former offensive line coach Lemuel Jeanpierre, who saw his share of difficulties leading the unit in 2021, will remain in Miami as assistant offensive line coach, returning in the position he held in 2020 before his promotion ahead of last season.
Gregory, 39, is a former NFL safety who held a similar role to the one he will now have when he was Detroit Lions defensive backs coach in 2020. He was a defensive assistant in Detroit the two seasons before that.
He will get to coach one of the league’s most promising young safety tandems in Jevon Holland and Brandon Jones after already developing some rapport with the duo last season.
Gregory played for the San Diego Chargers from 2006 to 2011 and the New England Patriots in 2012 and 2013. He accumulated 357 career tackles, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and scored a pair of touchdowns.
Jeanpierre, 34, who played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2015, goes back to assistant offensive line coach after one season getting to lead the unit. He held that title with the Dolphins in 2020 and Oakland Raiders in 2018 and 2019.
The Dolphins’ young, struggling offensive line could see an overhaul this offseason, but Jeanpierre will have familiarity with any players that remain. He will have more support now with Matt Applebaum hired to be offensive line coach from Boston College and new offensive coordinator Frank Smith coming over from leading the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive line.
Jeanpierre wasn’t the only position coach from Flores’ final season retained in a lesser role. Josh Grizzard, who was wide receivers coach in 2021, is now a quality control coach.
Other coaches revealed in the Dolphins’ release that had not yet been reported or confirmed by league sources: Mike Person (offensive assistant), Aldrick Robinson (offensive assistant), Kolby Smith (offensive assistant), Mathieu Araujo (assistant defensive backs), Steve Ferentz (assistant linebackers), Derrick LeBlanc (assistant defensive line), Ryan Slowik (senior defensive assistant), Brendan Farrell (assistant special teams) and Dave Puloka (head strength and conditioning).
Previously reported coaches whose hires became official with the announcement: Smith (offensive coordinator), Applebaum (offensive line), Darrell Bevell (quarterbacks/passing game coordinator), Jon Embree (assistant head coach/tight ends), Chandler Henley (assistant quarterbacks), Eric Studesville (associate head coach/running backs), Wes Welker (wide receivers), Josh Boyer (defensive coordinator), Anthony Campanile (linebackers), Austin Clark (defensive line), Sam Madison (cornerbacks/pass game specialist), Ty McKenzie (outside linebackers), Patrick Surtain (defensive assistant) and Danny Crossman (special teams coordinator).
McDaniel’s staff includes more than 300 years of coaching experience, including 183 years at the NFL level. Twelve of the team’s coaches are returning to the Dolphins in the same or a similar role.
The staff features three former Dolphins players, all of whom played together on the 2004 team — Welker, Madison and Surtain, with Surtain becoming known earlier Friday. They are 3 of 14 former Dolphins players all time to also coach for the team.