There has been a lot of speculation about Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach and Miami football legend Ken Dorsey returning to the Hurricanes to become the offensive coordinator. Miami hired Bryan McClendon earlier this month from Oregon as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
McClendon has never been a play-caller before and doesn’t seem likely to be with Miami. Dorsey has not called plays before either. McClendon has been an interim head coach twice for one game. New Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal has kept any potential candidates to the Miami football staff quiet.
Not much information has leaked about who Cristobal is interested in hiring for the Miami coaching staff. Both coordinator positions remain open for Miami. Dorsey is highly regarded throughout the NFL. If Miami is interested in hiring Dorsey as co-offensive coordinator and QB coach they will have a lot of competition.
Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is a candidate for multiple head coaching jobs including the Dolphins. If Daboll is hired as a head coach, Dorsey would be the prohibitive leading candidate to replace him as offensive coordinator. Dorsey is well regarded for his tutelage of Cam Newton with Carolina and Josh Allen with Buffalo.
The fact that Ken Dorsey isn’t getting OC/ HC consideration for the job he has done in Buffalo is crazy! All he has done is coach elite QB play!
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) January 16, 2022
Dorsey interviewed with Detroit last season. The Lions fired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn after the season and Detroit could potentially be interested in Dorsey again this offseason. Earlier this month CBS Sports listed Dorsey as a top offensive coordinator candidate. There are eight NFL head coaching openings.
Those openings don’t include other teams like Detroit that have an opening for offensive coordinator. There have been some reports that Cristobal could be waiting for Super Wildcard weekend to conclude to potentially interview coaching candidates from the losing teams. Buffalo defeated New England 47-17 on Saturday.
Dorsey will definitely be coaching next weekend. Buffalo will find out their opponent on Sunday night after Pittsburgh and Kansas City conclude their game. Cristobal has shown patience in hiring coordinators in the past. While at Oregon, Cristobal did not hire defensive coordinator Andy Avalos until February 27, 2019.
Cristobal makes an effort to hire the most qualified coaches and not just those he is closest with or obvious fits for his program. National Signing Day is in just over two weeks. The timing of the Avalos hiring in 2019 shows Cristobal could be willing to wait beyond National Signing Day to complete his staff.
Cristobal has a plan for how he wants the Miami football program to look. Having worked for Nick Saban, Cristobal will do it his way. The outside pressure from part of the fanbase who wants Dorsey or expects him to be at the top of the candidates for offensive coordinator won’t influence who Cristobal hires on the Miami football staff.