When I heard new Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel hired Sam Madison to coach the defensive backs and passing game coordinator, I was excited. Then today, I learned Pat Surtain was being hired as a defensive assistant coach. I’m so happy as a fan that two of the best corner tandems in Dolphins and NFL history are returning to coach. How can you not be excited about it? 


Surtain and Madison were two all-pros and went to several pro bowls. They were one of the main reasons the Dolphins had one of the better defenses in the league from the late 1990s to the turn of the century. They both played that press coverage and were constantly matched one on one with their opponents and had great success. With the Dolphins’ defense blitzing a lot and playing man to man, why not bring back two of the best cornerbacks in-franchise history to help the young secondary? These hires can’t be considered anything but a plus.  

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Sure, the Dolphins have Xavien Howard and Byron Jones starting and already established. However, the younger players like Noah Igbinoghene, Nik Needham, and Trill Williams could only benefit from two of the best who played the position. Igbinoghene, in particular, could benefit the most as he has struggled to get on the field, and he has struggled when he does get on the field. Igbinoghene was a first-round pick in 2020 and had a lot of athletic and physical ability, but needs to be coached up. Surtain and Madison can work with him to turn his career around. I don’t think the Dolphins should give up on Igbinoghene, but he’s going into his 3rd year, and he has to start performing on the field.  


Surtain and Madison aren’t just token hires. Both guys have been coaching. With Surtain, he was the head coach at American Heritage high school in South Florida and coached the school to 3 state championships in 5 years. He was the 2020 American High School coach of the year. Madison has been working with the Kansas City Chiefs secondary the last few years and had good success working with them.  

The younger players should look up to both of them. Gerald Alexander was a loss for the defensive staff because of his work with Javon Holland and Brandon Jones, but I couldn’t think of a better hire from McDaniel than bringing in two accomplished players from the Dolphins past.Â