Dolphins fire offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, QBs coach Zac Taylor promoted to play-caller

The Miami Dolphins’ house cleaning continued on Monday, as there were mutiple reports that the team fired offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Head coach Joe Philbin and defensive coordiantor Kevin Coyle were fired in October.

On its website, the team confirmed the reports, posting that interim head coach “Dan Campbell announced that the team has made the following changes to the coaching staff. Zac Taylor will serve as the team’s play caller and remain as quarterbacks coach. In addition, Phil McGeoghan has been promoted to wide receivers coach and Bill Lazor has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator.”

(An earlier version of this story pointed to a report saying Taylor had been named the new offensive coordinator, but per the team’s announcement, Taylor has not been given that title.)  

Miami lost to AFC East rival New York, 38-20, dropping its record to 4-7. The Dolphins were a paltry 4-for-15 on third down on Sunday, not converting an attempt until 4:25 left in the third quarter. They were 0-for-12 against the Jets in London in October. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 351 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, but the bulk of his yards came in the second half, as Miami was trying to dig out of a 21-0 hole.

After the loss, interim head coach Dan Campbell said Miami’s offense is “anemic right now,” an indication that perhaps Lazor’s days were numbered.

Like Campbell, who is the youngest head coach in the league currently, Taylor is quite young and inexperienced as a coach: the 32-year-old was a two-year starter at quarterback at Nebraska, and had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2007.

He has been with Miami for four years, first as assistant quarterbacks coach for one season and then as quarterbacks coach. Prior to joining the Dolphins, Taylor was a grad assistant/tight ends coach at Texas A&M. Both jobs came thanks to his tie to former A&M head coach and Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman – Taylor is married to Sherman’s daughter, Sarah.