Gailey returns to the Dolphins after three years away from game
When Chan Gailey decided to leave retirement and coach the Dolphins’ offense once again, he knew veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the likely starting quarterback.
What Gailey did not know is which rookie quarterback Miami would select as the future of the franchise. He could not have been more thrilled about the selection of Tua Tagovailoa.
“You look at the success he’s had,” Gailey said of Tagovailoa’s career at Alabama. “Obviously he’s a very good leader. You take all those great players that they had at Alabama, it’s got to come together on the field. You can do all the coaching you want but when they walk out there on the field the players play.”
It seemed likely Miami would be able to secure Joe Burrow, Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert with the fifth overall pick. But Gailey really likes Tua’s tool box.
“You can see his leadership, his ability to throw the football, his touch, game management, all of that type of stuff,” Gailey said. “There were a bunch of good quarterbacks. We could have gotten one of several and we were very glad to get Tua.”
Because of a lack of on-field spring practice and a preseason and Fitzpatrick’s experience, and the season opener scheduled for at New England, it would be a stunner if Tagovaila were to win the starting job between Aug. 17 and Sept. 13.
Fitzpatrick has also operated Gailey’s offense with the Bills and Jets. On Saturday, Gailey also mentioned Tua’s continued recovery from a hip injury as a factor.
“He’s going to develop quickly or slowly depending upon how much he grasps the offense and how quickly he comes and how he develops as a football player,” Gailey said. “A lot of that’s based on health. And so there’s a lot of factors in there. I hope I have a big impact on it. But you don’t ever know about that. You have to see how fast and how well a player comes on and then you see what he does. We’ll treat him just like we treat everybody else.”
This is a theme for head coach Brian Flores. And it is a theme assistant coaches will repeat. Of course, Tagovailoa is not like everybody else. He is the fifth pick in the draft. And he is a quarterback. Thankfully, it is Tagovailoa who provides hope for the future and the greatest reason for excitement about upcoming training camp.
In Gailey, Miami is reaching back to the past. Gailey was Miami’s offensive coordinator under Dave Wannstedt in 2000-2001. And he spent the last three years mostly watching children and playing golf.
That all leads to the question of if or how Gailey’s offensive approach has evolved.
“Has it changed?” Gailey said. “The terminology is the same and some of the plays are the same. But I think it changed from Buffalo and New York because of personnel we had. And it’s going to make another change because of the personnel we have here.”
Gailey, like every coach, is striding for run-pass balance, versatility and flexibility.
One thing players and coaches who have worked closely with Gailey say is he is not rigid. Gailey is not rigid in scheme. And he is not rigid in terms of allowing his most talented players the freedom to make decisions within the game.
“The great receivers I’ve been able to be around through my years -- and I’ve been doing this for 40-something years now – they’re artists,” Gailey said. “They run a route, but they never paint the same picture twice because of the way the defender is, because of the route they’re running, because of the coverage... (When you) fit him in a box, that’s where you make the guy less of a player than he really is.”
Gailey, who is 68 years old and has coached at Florida, Troy State, Air Force, Denver, Birmingham, Samford, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Miami, Georgia Tech, Kansas City, Buffalo and New York, wants heavy input from his assistant coaches and he offers some unique perspectives.
“I want guys to be able to go out and be creative,” Gailey said. “I tell them, ‘You have to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. But how you get there, that’s up to you.’”
One thing Gailey has never done is coach a left-handed quarterback such as Tua.
“It takes some mentally gymnastics on my part,” Gailey said.
When Chan Gailey decided to leave retirement and coach the Dolphins’ offense once again, he knew veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the likely starting quarterback.
What Gailey did not know is which rookie quarterback Miami would select as the future of the franchise. He could not have been more thrilled about the selection of Tua Tagovailoa.
“You look at the success he’s had,” Gailey said of Tagovailoa’s career at Alabama. “Obviously he’s a very good leader. You take all those great players that they had at Alabama, it’s got to come together on the field. You can do all the coaching you want but when they walk out there on the field the players play.”
It seemed likely Miami would be able to secure Joe Burrow, Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert with the fifth overall pick. But Gailey really likes Tua’s tool box.
“You can see his leadership, his ability to throw the football, his touch, game management, all of that type of stuff,” Gailey said. “There were a bunch of good quarterbacks. We could have gotten one of several and we were very glad to get Tua.”
Because of a lack of on-field spring practice and a preseason and Fitzpatrick’s experience, and the season opener scheduled for at New England, it would be a stunner if Tagovaila were to win the starting job between Aug. 17 and Sept. 13.
Fitzpatrick has also operated Gailey’s offense with the Bills and Jets. On Saturday, Gailey also mentioned Tua’s continued recovery from a hip injury as a factor.
“He’s going to develop quickly or slowly depending upon how much he grasps the offense and how quickly he comes and how he develops as a football player,” Gailey said. “A lot of that’s based on health. And so there’s a lot of factors in there. I hope I have a big impact on it. But you don’t ever know about that. You have to see how fast and how well a player comes on and then you see what he does. We’ll treat him just like we treat everybody else.”
This is a theme for head coach Brian Flores. And it is a theme assistant coaches will repeat. Of course, Tagovailoa is not like everybody else. He is the fifth pick in the draft. And he is a quarterback. Thankfully, it is Tagovailoa who provides hope for the future and the greatest reason for excitement about upcoming training camp.
In Gailey, Miami is reaching back to the past. Gailey was Miami’s offensive coordinator under Dave Wannstedt in 2000-2001. And he spent the last three years mostly watching children and playing golf.
That all leads to the question of if or how Gailey’s offensive approach has evolved.
“Has it changed?” Gailey said. “The terminology is the same and some of the plays are the same. But I think it changed from Buffalo and New York because of personnel we had. And it’s going to make another change because of the personnel we have here.”
Gailey, like every coach, is striding for run-pass balance, versatility and flexibility.
One thing players and coaches who have worked closely with Gailey say is he is not rigid. Gailey is not rigid in scheme. And he is not rigid in terms of allowing his most talented players the freedom to make decisions within the game.
“The great receivers I’ve been able to be around through my years -- and I’ve been doing this for 40-something years now – they’re artists,” Gailey said. “They run a route, but they never paint the same picture twice because of the way the defender is, because of the route they’re running, because of the coverage... (When you) fit him in a box, that’s where you make the guy less of a player than he really is.”
Gailey, who is 68 years old and has coached at Florida, Troy State, Air Force, Denver, Birmingham, Samford, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Miami, Georgia Tech, Kansas City, Buffalo and New York, wants heavy input from his assistant coaches and he offers some unique perspectives.
“I want guys to be able to go out and be creative,” Gailey said. “I tell them, ‘You have to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. But how you get there, that’s up to you.’”
One thing Gailey has never done is coach a left-handed quarterback such as Tua.
“It takes some mentally gymnastics on my part,” Gailey said.
Miami Dolphins’ Chan Gailey opens up for first time on Tua Tagovailoa, his offensive plan
When Chan Gailey decided to leave retirement and coach the Dolphins ’ offense once again, he knew veteran Ryan...
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