MIAMI GARDENS. Fla. — The Miami Dolphins introduced three new coordinators on Wednesday as part of head coach Jeff Hafley’s efforts to help a franchise that finished 7-9 last season and fired previous head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, defensive coordinator Sean Duggan and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor were unveiled at a press conference at the team’s facility. Hafley indicated the coaching staff is nearly finalized.

“We’ve hired three, and just so you know the staff is almost finalized so as soon as that does come out, we’ll get you the list,” Hafley said. “There’s just a few other things that I’m working on and we’re working through, and hopefully that will be done soon.”

Slowik returns to the Dolphins after spending last season on the staff as a senior passing game coordinator. He spoke about his relationship with Hafley and his philosophy for an offense that ranked 25th in the NFL last year, averaging just over 300 yards per game.

“I am very appreciative, obviously being here last year,” Slowik said. “My relationship with Coach Hafley goes way back. He means a lot to me. I respect him so much as a person, as a family man, as a father, and I think he’s an unbelievable coach.”

Addressing questions about how his offense will compare to McDaniel’s, Slowik said they share similar foundational principles but will adapt to the current roster.

“Obviously we’re all from the same tree. The way I like to frame it is very similar to like the bones are the same, the roots are the same, but all the trees grow different,” Slowik said. “A lot of that has to do with the players you have on any given team, which changes year to year.”

Slowik emphasized the importance of establishing a physical identity, particularly in the offensive line.

“I’m a huge style play guy,” he said. “So our physicality, our toughness, our strain, our effort, how relentless we are, are we violent, are we fast — that needs to show up on tape all the time. That’s the most demanding thing as far as what they’ll get from me as a coach.”

The new offensive coordinator also addressed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was second in the league with 15 interceptions last season — a career high. Slowik said the organization is still in the early stages of evaluating personnel but praised Tagovailoa’s character during a difficult 2024 season.

“I know last year, that was a difficult year,” Slowik said. “It was a difficult year for him, without a doubt for a lot of different reasons, and I think what jumped out to me was the grace he handled that with. Even at the end of the year, the kind of person he was to everybody and to his teammates, really, you can’t say enough about that. How good of a person he was and how he handled that situation is all you could ask for.”

When asked if Tagovailoa can rebound from last season’s struggles, Slowik expressed confidence in the quarterback’s ability to overcome adversity.

“You’re talking about people that are at the peak of their profession. They’re the best in the world at what they do, not just physically but mentally,” Slowik said. “They’re some of the strongest human beings there are... absolutely I think Tua can, he can absolutely bounce back.”

Duggan, the team’s new defensive coordinator, discussed his approach to coaching and building relationships with players, particularly as a relatively young coach working with veterans.

“I’m big into relationships, right?” Duggan said. “I think developing relationships with guys is always important no matter what age you are. When it comes to age, guys just want to be coached, right? If you can help them get better and you care about them, they’re going to listen and they’re going to take in your coaching.”

Duggan outlined his defensive philosophy, which emphasizes versatility and playing to the strengths of personnel.

“We want to be multiple, we want to fit to the strengths of our players,” Duggan said. “We want those guys to go out there and play fast, know what they’re doing and just go play 100 miles an hour. You’ve got to be multiple in this league and present different looks to the offense or it’s going to be potentially a long day.”

Like his offensive counterpart, Duggan stressed the importance of controlling the line of scrimmage.

“I believe the game always starts up front,” Duggan said. “To me, it starts with stopping the run, staying square, playing your gap. You should be able to see a guy’s numbers and his nameplate, taking away space for the offense.”

Tabor, the newly appointed special teams coordinator, brings experience and was recently ranked as the second-most respected special teams coordinator in a league-wide poll of players.

“I paid a lot of money on that,” Tabor joked when asked about the ranking.

Tabor discussed the evolving role of special teams, particularly with the new dynamic kickoff rule and the increased importance of long field goals.

“I think it has. I’m going to go ahead and predict it’s going to impact this weekend’s game, because obviously on fourth down you only get one opportunity,” Tabor said. “But with regards to like the dynamic kickoff and those types of things, obviously you’re seeing a lot of returns which is fun, you’re seeing a lot of covered kicks.”

The Dolphins are hoping the new coaching staff can help end the NFL’s longest playoff winless drought. Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.

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