Filed under: Dolphins, AFC East
Three years ago David Lee was the architect behind a tricky formation known as the "Wildcat" that became all the rage after his Miami Dolphins unveiled it at of all places Gillette Stadium against the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. Running back Ronnie Brown ran it to perfection that day in a 38-13 rout, accounting for four touchdowns, including one through the air.Now Lee has become the second key member of Miami's offensive coaching staff to depart, after offensive coordinator Dan Henning stepped aside early last week, following a disappointing 7-9 season that saw Miami's offense rank near the bottom of the league in just about every relevant category.
Lee, 57, was hired by Ole Miss to be the offensive coordinator under head coach Houston Nutt. The two worked together at the University of Arkansas in 2001 and 2002 when Lee was Nutt's quarterbacks coach and then again in 2007 when Lee was offensive coordinator.
"When you turn over the play-calling duty, it's important that you know that coach very well," said Nutt, who needed to replace Dave Rader after Rader left the school with one year remaining on his contract. "We have the same type of philosophy. I love his experience with the professional game and with quarterbacks."
Lee and Gus Malzahn helped make the 'Wildcat" vogue in that 2007 season thanks to the talents of running backs Darren McFadden, Felix Jones and Peyton Hillis. McFadden, like Brown in Miami, took the direct snap and either kept it himself, handed it to Jones who was coming across the formation in motion or threw it to Hillis or another open receiver. Ricky Williams played the role of Jones for the Dolphins and Patrick Cobbs imitated Hillis, with tight end Anthony Fasano catching Brown's touchdown pass in New England.
When Nutt left the Razorbacks to take the head coaching job at Ole Miss, Lee initially followed him but then he got his chance to go to the National Football League with the Dolphins and found his name making headlines after that Patriots game. Miami had started out the 2008 season 0-2 and on the plane ride back to Florida from Arizona, where the Arizona Cardinals won in dominant fashion, 31-10, Lee and Henning brainstormed with Dolphins coach Tony Sparano about implementing the "Wildcat."
Though his tenure in Miami didn't quite the end the way he would have liked, with some blame landing on his shoulders for the perceived regression of third-year quarterback Chad Henne, Lee did enough to pump up his resume. And now he gets to reunite with a familiar face and take some pressure off of Nutt, who was trying to make the offensive and defensive calls for Arkansas last year.
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/11/david-lee-bound-for-ole-miss-leaving-vacancy-at-dolphins-quarte/
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