Dolphins hire Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver to be new defensive coordinator

The Dolphins hired Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as their next defensive coordinator, the team announced Saturday, ending their search to replace Vic Fangio.

Weaver, who turns 44 in July, served as the Texans defensive coordinator in 2020, a season in which a Houston defense without a lot of top-end talent ranked 27th in points allowed and tied for 29th in yards per play allowed.

Weaver has coached for 12 seasons in the NFL, also spending time with the Bills, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets. He was on the same Cleveland staff as Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel in 2014; Weaver was the defensive line coach and McDaniel was the wide receivers coach.

“I am excited to add Anthony to our staff, not only for what he will bring to the Dolphins as a teacher and coach, but even more so who he is as a leader of men,” McDaniel said in a news release. “He has a proven resume of success, built on his personal investment in his players. Most importantly, he shares our belief that player development is the cornerstone to both team building and sustained excellence. Through conversations with him and those who have worked with him, it became clear that we have aligned values in football philosophies and coaching.”

A Texas native who played college football and was an All-American at Notre Dame, Weaver was a second-round pick of the Ravens in 2002. He played sevens season in Baltimore and Houston, recording 265 tackles and 15.5 sacks. Weaver is viewed as a strong communicator who relates well to players.

“He understands what our day-to-day is like. So, he knows what we’re going through,” former NFL defensive lineman Derek Wolfe said in 2021. “To me, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve been around. I’ve been around some good really good defensive line coaches, too. The stuff he uses, he doesn’t just make you do a drill just to do a drill, just to kill time. Everything he does is [meticulous] and there’s a reason for it. He explains you that reason, why we’re doing this drill. And then you take that, you use it on the field, it works.”

Weaver is a fast-rising candidate for head-coaching opportunities, having interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their vacancies. Last offseason, he led the Ravens’ search committee to find their new offensive coordinator which culminated in Baltimore hiring Todd Monken.

Baltimore on Thursday promoted inside linebacker coach Zach Orr to defensive coordinator, replacing Mike Macdonald, who left to become the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach.

At the team’s end-of-season news conference, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke glowingly of Weaver.

“He’ll be a great head coach,” Harbaugh said Friday. “He didn’t get hired this cycle and great coaches got hired but some day some people are going to look back and they’re going to say, ‘Man we had a chance to hire Anthony Weaver.’ I guarantee you that. They’re going to see they missed their chance. And the next time around, somebody’s not going to miss their chance.”

Weaver joined Baltimore’s staff in 2021 as run game coordinator/defensive line coach and then was promoted to assistant head coach in 2022. Since 2021, the Ravens have allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL. And under Weaver’s tutelage, fourth-year defensive tackle Justin Madubuike broke out for Baltimore’s top-ranked defense in 2023. Madubuike recorded a career-high 13 sacks, which led all interior linemen. Madubuike was also named to the Pro Bowl and a second-team All-Pro selection for the first time in his career.

Weaver began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Florida in 2010 before coaching linebackers at North Texas in 2011.

While he held the title of defensive line coach in Baltimore, he worked with players all along the defensive front.

“Coach Weaver has done a fantastic job with the pass-rush plans ... he’s a defensive coordinator, basically coordinating the D-Front,” outside linebackers coach Chuck Smith said in November 2023.

Weaver was the Dolphins’ pick of eight known candidates for the position. Miami also expressed interest in former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley, outside linebackers coach Ryan Slowik, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich, former Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Texans linebackers coach Chris Kiffin and Los Angeles Rams linebackers Chris Shula, the grandson of Dolphins legendary coach Don Shula.

Babich and Chris Shula both stayed with their respective teams and received promotions to defensive coordinator. Frazier is reportedly joining the Seattle Seahawks as assistant head coach.

Weaver becomes the third defensive coordinator McDaniel will have in as many seasons, succeeding Fangio and Josh Boyer, who was a holdover from Brian Flores’ staff. Miami and Fangio mutually parted ways last week. Days later, the Philadelphia Eagles hired Fangio to be their next defensive coordinator.

Weaver will inherit a talented defense that had its first top-10 finish since 2010 but faces potential roster turnover. Significant injuries to key contributors could also extend into the 2024 season.

Defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and safety DeShon Elliott are among the notable defenders who can become unrestricted free agents. And cornerback Xavien Howard’s future in Miami has been questioned as he has no more guaranteed money on his contract.

Edge rushers Bradley Chubb (ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) also sustained severe lower-body injuries that have put their availability for the start of the 2024 season up in the air.

More changes along the defensive staff are also likely with Weaver’s arrival. Safeties coach Joe Kasper is leaving Miami to join Fangio’s staff in the same role, NFL Network reported Friday.