Vance Joseph Hired To Be Denver Broncos Head Coach
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The Dolphins will be looking for a new defensive coordinator this offseason.
Vance Joseph, who led Miami's defense for the 2016-17 season, was hired to be the Denver Broncos' next head coach Wednesday afternoon.
Joseph spent just one full season as a defensive coordinator – his year with Miami – after being a defensive backs coach for 10 seasons.
The 44-year-old Joseph will replace Gary Kubiak, who stepped down and retired from coaching after the Broncos finished 9-7 and failed to reach the postseason after winning the Super Bowl the season prior.
Things moved rather swiftly for Joseph and the Broncos.
Kubiak cited health concerns for his abrupt parting on Jan. 2, Miami was knocked out of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh on Jan. 8, and the Broncos closed the deal with Joseph just three days later.
In his one year with the Dolphins, Joseph led a defensive unit that began the season with high hopes but was dealt a bad rash of injuries that left the group fairly depleted by season's end.
Miami's defense ranked near the bottom of the league in terms of total production this season. The Fins defense ranked No. 29 overall and gave up 6,122 yards this season – a franchise record – while also yielding more 140 yards per game to opponents on the ground and giving up 24 points per game.
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, who spoke during the team's end of year press conference Wednesday, spoke very highly of Joseph.
"When we brought him in the building, we knew he would be in control of everything on that side of the ball," Gase said. "He has that 'alpha' mentality and he has great leadership qualities, he holds players accountable and he leads them well."
Still, Joseph tried to make the most of what he was given and held in high esteem around the NFL – as one of the "up-and-coming" young coaches and leaders.
Joseph's rise through the coaching ranks was rather meteoric over the past decade. Starting out as the San Francisco's assistant defensive backs coach in 2005, Joseph served as the primary defensive backs coach for the 49ers (2006-2010), Houston (2011-2013) and Cincinnati (2014-2015).
