Joining Miami were Paul Pasqualoni as defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles as assistant head coach and secondary coach, and Kacy Rodgers as defensive line coach. All worked in Dallas with Sparano, who was the Cowboys' assistant head coach before taking the Miami job last week.

New Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells and new general manager Jeff Ireland also formerly worked for the Cowboys.

David Carrao, who coached linebackers at Mississippi in 2007, joined Miami as defensive quality control coach.

Pasqualoni was the coach at Syracuse from 1991-2004, leading the Orangemen to a record 107-59-1 record and nine bowl appearances. He spent the past three years with the Cowboys as tight ends coach and then linebackers coach.

Bowles has eight years of experience as an NFL assistant, including the past three in Dallas, where he was secondary coach. He was an assistant with the Cleveland Browns in 2001-04.