Report: Ex-Broncos RB coach to join staff
Former Denver Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville is expected to be the latest addition to Adam Gase’s coaching staff on the Dolphins.
ESPN reported Studesville will handle running backs and coordinate the running game in 2018, replacing Danny Barrett, who was fired. A league source confirmed to The Post the hiring is close.
The Dolphins’ running backs endured a rocky 2017 season, most notably with the trade on Halloween of reigning team MVP Jay Ajayi. The Dolphins finished 29th in rushing and 24th in yards per carry, although Kenyan Drake blossomed, ending the season with a team-high 644 yards.
Denver was 12th in the NFL in rushing last season and 18th in yards per carry. C.J. Anderson led the team with 1,007 yards, averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
Studesville, 50, has 21 years of NFL experience as an assistant, primarily coaching running backs. He also was a Broncos interim coach in 2010.
Studesville coached with Gase in Denver and also interviewed for the New York Giants’ head-coaching position.
Kocurek to coach D-line: The Dolphins have an apparent agreement to hire Kris Kocurek to run the defensive line. It’s a significant addition in large part because of his history with Ndamukong Suh.
Kocurek, 39, was Detroit’s defensive line coach from 2009 through last year and had Suh for the first five seasons of his career. Suh was All-Pro in three of those, a distinction he hasn’t earned with the Dolphins.
There’s also a connection between Kocurek and Miami defensive coordinator Matt Burke, the Lions’ linebackers coach from 2009 through ’13.
The Dolphins have not announced the hire or any of their other staff changes, but Kocurek’s wife revealed on Facebook he is taking the job.
“Kris and I are now ready for our next journey,” she wrote. “We are excited to announce and proud (to) say that Kris will now be the Defensive Line Coach of the Miami Dolphins ... Look out Florida (here) we come. This is an amazing opportunity for our little family!”
Kocurek replaces Terrell Williams, let go last week as part of Gase’s ongoing overhaul of the staff. He will be replacing at least five assistants heading into the 2018 season.
Gase bumped Clyde Christensen in favor of Dowell Loggains at offensive coordinator. It’s unknown yet whether Christensen will stay on staff in a reduced role. Barrett is also gone, and there’s been a vacancy on the offensive line since October because of Chris Foerster’s situation.
Defensively, the team fired longtime secondary coach Lou Anarumo on Sunday, a day after letting Williams go.
Kocurek, who played defensive tackle for two seasons with the Titans before starting his coaching career, is charged with turning around one of the NFL’s most overpriced defensive lines. Miami had the fourth-most-expensive defensive line in the league last year, and it finished 26th in sacks.
Another key element of Kocurek’s new position will be developing 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris at defensive end. Harris played mostly off the bench last year and had a productive rookie season.