The Miami Dolphins hired former Boston College offensive line coach Matt Applebaum as their new offensive line coach, as reported by Pete Thamel on Saturday.
After the Dolphins went 8–9 in the regular season and failed to make the playoffs, Miami will look to revamp its coaching staff under newly arrived head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel is set to replace BC alumnus and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.
Applebaum will be the Dolphins’ fourth offensive line coach since the start of Miami’s training camp in 2019. The Dolphins have not had an offensive line coach serve back-to-back seasons since the 2014–15 season when John Benton held the position.
Applebaum joined BC’s staff under head coach Jeff Hafley in 2020 and coached a number of standout offensive linemen during his two years on the Heights. Applebaum helped coach multiple All-ACC and All-American honorees throughout that tenure, most notably guard Zion Johnson and center Alec Lindstrom.
Before arriving to BC, Applebaum was the offensive line coach at Towson for two years and at Davidson for two years before he was promoted to offensive coordinator for a year. Before working at Davidson, he spent a season as the offensive line coach at Southeastern Louisiana. Prior to his collegiate experience, he spent time in the NFL with Washington and Jacksonville as an assistant.
Applebaum will rework a Miami offensive line that ranked last in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus in 2021. The Dolphins led the league in pressures in the 2021 season with 235.
Applebaum joins two other former BC coaches to leave the Eagles ahead of the 2022 season, marking the first major departures from Hafley’s staff since he arrived at BC in December 2019. The Carolina Panthers hired wide receivers coach Joe Dailey for the same position in the NFL, and Pittsburgh hired former offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. to serve the same position for the Panthers.
Featured Image by Steve Mooney / Heights Editor
