DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins are hiring Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Tuesday. Gailey will replace Chad O'Shea, who was let go on Monday after one season.
Gailey, 67, is coming out of retirement to lead the Dolphins' offense after last coaching during the 2016 season as the New York Jets' offensive coordinator.
A word that players often used to describe the Dolphins' offense this season was "complex." With a lot of young players and a young quarterback likely coming in, the Dolphins seem to be switching from a Patriots-style offense and toward a spread scheme that Gailey prefers to run. O'Shea had spent the previous 10 years as the Patriots' receivers coach.
Gailey's hire seems to significantly boost the chances that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick returns for the 2020 season. Gailey has coached Fitzpatrick at two different stops: with the Jets as offensive coordinator in 2015-16 and the Buffalo Bills as head coach from 2010 to 2012.
Fitzpatrick, 37, is under contract for 2020 with an $8 million salary that has $4 million guaranteed. He said he will talk with his family before deciding whether he wants to return for Year 16, but Dolphins players want him back and the veteran quarterback said retirement would be harder than playing football.
NFL Network was the first to report the Gailey hire.
Gailey has been a three-time collegiate head coach and two-time NFL head coach, so he provides a lot of experience for the Dolphins on offense and for head coach Brian Flores overall.
It's a return to Miami for Gailey, who was also the Dolphins' offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2001 under Dave Wannstedt.
O'Shea was Flores' colleague in New England and one of the coach's first hires. The Dolphins also parted ways with safeties coach Tony Oden and offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo on Monday.
After Fitzpatrick reentered the starting lineup, the Dolphins ranked in the top 10 in passing offense and top 15 in scoring offense. But the overall numbers still painted a picture of a bad offense: Miami finished 27th in the NFL in total offense, last in rushing offense and 25th in scoring offense.
Miami hasn't addressed the lingering status of assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell, who took an indefinite leave of absence citing health issues in mid-July. He served as a consultant during the season, and the Fritz Pollard Alliance placed him on its list of head-coaching candidates after he was deemed fully healthy to return to coaching. Flores has twice sidestepped questions regarding Caldwell's status with the Dolphins.