Dolphins hire former Seahawks assistant, make another coaching change

The Dolphins are hiring former Seattle Seahawks assistant DeShawn Shead as assistant defensive backs coach, new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver confirmed Thursday during his introductory news conference.

Shead, 34, spent the past three seasons as a defensive assistant and then assistant defensive backs coach for the Seahawks. He transitioned to coaching after an eight-year career in the NFL, the first six of which were spent in Seattle. A Portland State alumnus who entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012, Shead was a member of the Seahawks when they won Super Bowl 48.

During his career, Shead appeared in 66 games and made 23 starts, recording 171 tackles and two interceptions.

“He’s a younger guy, he’s got all the energy,” Weaver said. “He can relate. You talk about ex-players being able to relate to current players and being out there talking from a vantage point of, ‘I’ve done this, here’s how you can help yourself,’ he obviously provides that, too.”

Weaver also said that Ryan Slowik, who coached outside linebackers this past season, will coach the secondary in a to-be-announced role in 2024. The Dolphins hired former Tennessee Titans assistant Ryan Crow to coach outside linebackers but the Miami Herald previously reported that Slowik would remain on staff.

Weaver called Slowik a “tremendous asset because he’s coached on every level of the defense.” Slowik also played safety in college.

While saying that Slowik did a “tremendous job” in his role this past season, Weaver said that under Crow, all the Titans’ outside linebackers “did was produce and get after the quarterback and set dominant edges, which is exactly what we want to do here.”

Weaver also commented on the addition of former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry as linebackers coach/run game coordinator and former Detroit Lions assistant Brian Duker as secondary coach/pass game coordinator.

Weaver said he and Barry had conversations in 2021 about joining Brandon Staley’s staff when he left the Los Angeles Rams to become head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers; Barry was an assistant for the Rams from 2017 to 2020. It never came together, though, as Barry went to Green Bay and Weaver took a position with the Baltimore Ravens, but the two remained in contact and formed a friendship.

“To add him to our staff with his wisdom and intellect and knowledge is a tremendous win for us as a team and then me individually,” Weaver said.

Duker overlapped with Weaver during their time with the Cleveland Browns; Duker was a coaching intern and Weaver was the defensive line coach. Weaver noted how Duker also coached alongside former Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and has knowledge of the scheme, which Weaver will carry over to Miami. Weaver spent one season coaching alongside Martindale in Baltimore in 2021.

“He’s just [a] tremendous football mind,” Weaver said of Duker. “Young, kind of up-and-coming coach.”