MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins named former Baltimore Ravens assistant head coach and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver as their defensive coordinator on Saturday.

Weaver had previously interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their head coaching vacancies before joining the Dolphins, where he will reunite with his former coaching colleague Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel, entering his third season as Miami’s head coach, and Weaver were both on Mike Pettine’s Cleveland Browns staff in 2014. McDaniel coached the wide receivers that season and Weaver coached the defensive line from 2014-2015.

“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 statement. “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.”

Weaver, 43, spent seven years as an NFL defensive linemen with the Ravens (2002-2005) and Texans (2006-2008) and has 12 years of defensive coaching experience. He entered the league as an assistant defensive line coach under then-Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who was Weaver’s defensive line coach in Baltimore.

Weaver was the Texans’ defensive coordinator for a season in 2020 before joining John Harbaugh’s staff, where he was run game coordinator and defensive line coach in 2021, and assistant head coach/defensive line coach the past two seasons.

In 2023, the Ravens led the NFL in scoring defense (16.5 points allowed per game), went 13-4 and earned the top seed in the AFC playoffs. In Weaver’s three seasons in Baltimore, the team allowed 95.3 rushing yards per game, which is third in the NFL during that span. Baltimore’s 4.06 yards per carry allowed was fourth.

Weaver is taking over a Dolphins unit that finished 10th-best in total defense in 2023, third in total sacks and first in quarterback hits under Vic Fangio, who the Dolphins mutually agreed to part ways with last month. Fangio is now the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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