Report: Mike McDaniel bringing ACC assistant to Dolphins

Mike McDaniel and Dolphins are looking towards the college ranks to his coaching staff. According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Miami is bringing Boston College offensive line coach Matt Applebaum up to the NFL.

“Sources: The Miami Dolphins are expected to hire Boston College offensive line coach Matt Applebaum as the team’s new offensive line coach,” tweeted Thamel.

Moreover, Applebaum has been with the Eagles since the 2020 season, but is moving back to the NFL. In the past, Applebaum had two separate stints in the league — first in 2008 until 2010 with the Washington Commanders, and again in 2014 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. McDaniel also coached with Washington, but his time began in 2011 — one season after Applebaum left for the Miami Hurricanes.

At the college level, the experienced coach has been around multiple programs. First, Applebaum began his coaching career as the tight ends coach at Central Connecticut State. Then after his stint with Washington, he returned to college to coach at Miami. Afterwards, he bounced around Bucknell, Southeastern Louisiana, Davidson and Towson before ending up at Boston College.

Now, Matt Applebaum is bringing his ability back to the NFL. As Mike McDaniel looks to change the culture in Miami, Applebaum will be an important hire for the Dolphins.

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If Mike McDaniel is to run the offense he wants, Matt Applebaum will need to have his unit firing on all cylinders. The Dolphins believe McDaniel is the man to help Tua Tagovailoa find his groove, and the new Miami coach believes in the quarterback.

“My belief in Tua is that he’s a football player on this team that’s trying to get better, and the biggest message I have for all players, really, the message should be about the team,” McDaniel said, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “And what I mean by that is it’s really about the team collectively getting better. And there’s a responsibility of the quarterback to do so. But I’m not sitting here concerned with how good Tua can be.

“I’m concerned with, as a collective unit, what we can grow together? Because that’s what wins football games. I haven’t seen a quarterback win a football game by himself ever, really. He has to have somebody to throw to. He better not be getting tackled before he throws, so somebody better block. And the defense had better not allow them to score.”

As you can see, the future looks to be bright in Miami for the Dolphins under Mike McDaniel and company.