Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan Less than a day after leaving Denver, Mike Nolan was hired by the Miami Dolphins to be their new defensive coordinator, replacing Paul Pasqualoni.

Pasqualoni was fired after the Dolphins finished the regular season at 7-9 season. They allowed 390 points for the year, the third-highest total in the AFC.

Bill Parcells, the Dolphins' football czar, and Nolan will be reunited. Nolan served as the New York Jets defensive coordinator when Parcells held the same position with the Jets.

Nolan became available after the Dolphins' courtships of Al Groh and Keith Butler failed to produce an agreement. Groh became defensive coordinator for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and Butler decided
to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers as linebackers coach.

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano favors a 3-4 defensive scheme. Denver improved to seventh in the NFL in defense from 29th in 2008, but the team faded badly and missed the postseason for a fourth consecutive year.

Nolan was the 49ers' head coach in 2005-08. He spent this past season in Denver as defensive coordinator and he held the same position with four other NFL clubs: Baltimore, the Jets in 2000, Washington and the New York Giants.

Now that the Dolphins have a new defensive coordinator in place, they can concentrate on personal. Linebackers Jason Taylor and Joey Porter, along with nose tackle Jason Ferguson are all in their 30's and may not return in 2010.