Hobby hire offers fresh insight into Dolphins’ coaching shakeup,
Marion Hobby didn’t stay unemployed long.
A week after Hobby and the Miami Dolphins had a what they described as a “mutually” parting of the ways, he resurfaced with the Cincinnati Bengals, accepting the same job he held on Brian Flores’ staff the past two seasons: defensive line coach.
Details of why Hobby and the Dolphins agreed to split haven’t been made public, but Saturday’s news — announced by the Bengals on their website — revealed it wasn’t because Hobby had lined up a promotion.
“We are excited for Marion to join the Bengals,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “He brings great experience and is a perfect fit with our staff and defensive line room. We look forward to welcoming him and his family to Cincinnati.”
During his time in Miami, Hobby helped develop Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler into dependable interior linemen, and was part of a coaching staff that unlocked Emmanuel Ogbah’s potential. Ogbah ranked 14th in football with a career-best nine sacks.
Hobby in Cincinnati will work with Lou Anarumo, another former Dolphins assistant who is now the Bengals’ defensive coordinator. It is Hobby’s first time working with either Taylor or Anarumo in his quarter-century as a coach.
The announcement that he would not return for a third season in Miami came two days after Flores told reporters that “we expect everyone back” from the 2020 coaching staff. However, that didn’t end up being the case. Offensive coordinator Chan
Gailey resigned less than 24 hours after those remarks, and a day after that, Hobby was gone.
This is the second time in as many years that Flores has lost a top assistant to a lateral move. Last January, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham stepped down to take the same job with the New York Giants.
Of Flores’ original 2019 coaching staff, just six assistants remain: special-teams coordinator Danny Crossman, defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, tight ends coach George
Godsey, assistant defensive line coach Rob Leonard, running backs coach Eric Studesville and wide receivers coach Josh Grizzard.
Godsey and Studesville were among a halfdozen candidates to replace Gailey as the Dolphins’ offensive play-caller, but that original list has dwindled considerably. Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and Steelers assistant Matt Canada both reportedly are staying put.
Flores still needs to hire defensive line coach as well.