The Miami Dolphins are shaking up their coaching staff following a disappointing 2024 season.
On Friday, the Miami Dolphins announced that they had “parted ways” with wide receivers coach Wes Welker and special teams coordinator Danny Crossman. The moves come as the Dolphins look toward the 2025 season after a disappointing 2024 campaign.
Miami was expected to compete for the AFC East division title and be a contender in the AFC this season. Instead, the team struggled to a 2-6 opening to the year and ended the season with an 8-9 record, missing the playoffs. The Dolphins’ explosive and high-scoring offense in 2023 could not get out of its own way in 2024 and finished the year averaging just 20.3 points per game.
Welker joined the Dolphins in 2022 as the team’s wide receivers coach after three seasons in the same position with the San Francisco 49ers. He worked the 2017 and 2018 seasons as an offensive and special teams assistant with the Houston Texans before his stint with the 49ers. Welker had a 12-year NFL career as a wide receiver, including three seasons with the Dolphins.
Crossman became the Dolphins’ special teams coordinator in 2019, staying in the role when the team changed head coaches from Brian Flores to Mike McDaniel. His coaching career includes six seasons as the Buffalo Bills special teams coordinator, three seasons with the Detroit Lions in the role, and seven years with the Carolina Panthers, starting as a special teams assistant before eventually serving as their special teams coordinator. He also has ten years as a coach in various roles at the collegiate level.
“I am grateful for Danny’s contributions and dedication to the Dolphins over the course of many seasons, as well as the numerous ways he helped me as a head coach,” McDaniel said in a release by the team following the announcement of the firings. “I also want to thank Wes for his investment here. This was not a decision I came to lightly, but as I have evaluated the season and areas where we must improve, I believe that change is needed and am motivated to do what is best for the team as we move forward.”
McDaniel will now begin the search for new assistants for both roles.
