faba Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 DOLPHINS Source: Dolphins get QB coach Ole Miss offensive coordinator David Lee, who has known Bill Parcells for 34 years, has reached an agreement to join the Dolphins, a source said. Posted on Tue, Jan. 08, 2008 Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email BY JEFF DARLINGTON jdarlington@MiamiHerald.com COURTESY: ARKANSAS David Lee will be the team's quarterbacks coach, a college-level source told The Miami Herald on Monday. The Dolphins have a new coach. He just isn't the head coach. Even before replacing ousted coach Cam Cameron, Miami moved toward assembling its staff of assistants Monday, when Mississippi offensive coordinator David Lee agreed to join the team, a college-level source told The Miami Herald. Lee, who has a relationship with Parcells that dates 34 years, will serve as the team's quarterbacks coach. He is scheduled to arrive in South Florida on Thursday, but he likely will be lonely for his first few weeks on the staff. That's because the source urged that the Dolphins had not yet hired a head coach despite Lee also having ties to Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano, who is considered the front-runner for the job. Instead, the source said, Lee's hiring was orchestrated solely by Parcells (who also hired Lee in 2003 to join his staff in Dallas) and general manager Jeff Ireland. It is not currently known whether Parcells and Ireland also are pursuing other potential assistants -- or if Lee, 54, was an exception. Meanwhile, the team played host to another potential candidate who could serve as Lee's eventual boss. Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier arrived at the team's facility Monday, but his formal interview won't be conducted until Tuesday. Former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is expected to arrive Tuesday, and his interview is likely to overflow into Wednesday. As the search for a head coach continues, the Dolphins were not yet willing to acknowledge Lee's hiring just yet, as a team spokesman would not confirm or deny the agreement. However, Parcells' level of respect for Lee, who recently left Arkansas for Ole Miss, is no secret. ''While he has been with the Cowboys, he has helped all of our quarterbacks develop and grow,'' Parcells, then the Cowboys' head coach, said in a statement last January, when Lee left his staff for Arkansas. ``I think he is an excellent teacher of fundamentals at the quarterback position, and he has a solid grasp of how to develop an effective offensive philosophy with the talent that is available to him.'' THE VANDY YEARS The connections between the pair runs deeper than their days in Dallas. Lee played quarterback for Vanderbilt when Parcells coached the defense in 1973 and 1974. In 1974, Lee and Parcells were part of the Commodores' first bowl appearance in 19 years. That initial relationship developed over the years, eventually leading Lee to jump to Parcells' staff in Dallas three decades later. ''It wasn't a pro football thing,'' Lee told the Tulsa (Okla.) World when he first left the college ranks in 2003 for the NFL. ``It was working with Bill Parcells.'' When Lee arrived in Dallas, he was a quality control coach, and his job involved assisting then-quarterbacks coach Sean Payton. But when Payton was named the Saints head coach, Parcells promoted Lee to the vacated post. PRAISE FROM ROMO Lee would later return to his role as a quality control coach during his final year before jumping back to the college ranks, but he still continued to play a key role in Dallas quarterback Tony Romo's development. Romo has often heaped public praise onto Lee for his tutelage during their time together, which began when Romo joined the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003. ''I think David really helped me as much as any coach I've had,'' Romo told the Cowboys' team website early last year, one month before bringing Lee with him to Hawaii for his first Pro Bowl appearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4HCrew Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I will give Parcells and Co credit for really getting the ball rolling and getting the guys they want. This hiring means they already know who their next coach will be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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