Dom Capers = Highest Paid NFL Assistant.

[Rome]

Updated: Jan. 13, 2007, 5:21 PM ET
Dolphins to pay Capers; new head coach next?
By Chris Mortensen
ESPN.com

The Miami Dolphins have reached an agreement with defensive coordinator Dom Capers on a deal that will make him the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL.

Capers' new deal is for three years and an estimated $8.1 million, team sources confirmed. His salary in 2007 will be $2.6 million, equal to that of Washington taterskins assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams, but Capers will get raises of at least $100,000 per year in 2008 and 2009.

Capers' current deal was set to expire on Sunday; he would have been able to talk with other teams, but he would not have been able to sign with another team until Feb. 1.

Also, New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has emerged as a finalist in the Dolphins' search for a head coach, sources confirmed.

Schottenheimer will have a second interview with the Dolphins on Tuesday, one day after Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin gets his second interview as a finalist.

The Dolphins have pared their list from 12 candidates to four or five.

Schottenhenheimer just finished his first season as a coordinator. The 33-year-old son of San Diego Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer is the youngest coordinator in the NFL. Brian Schottenheimer was the quarterbacks coach in San Diego prior to joining Jets coach Eric Mangini's staff this past season.

Tomlin, who will turn 35 in March, also just completed his first season, as a defensive coordinator. Tomlin is a finalist for the Pittsburgh Steelers vacant head coaching position, too.

Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron also are believed to be finalists for the Dolphins' job.

If they're going to pay him that much dough, why not just make him the head coach?  Also - why would they hire an assistant coach before hiring a head coach?  Wouldn't the head coach want to at least be able to pick his own staff?

Very strange.  Almost Washington taterskins-strange.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yeah, that shtein is weird.

Unless they have decided to hire a HC and he's still in the playoffs and they won't name him until after his team is out (Cameron - SD, for ex.)

[Drunkmasterflex]

Listening to a few players from the Dolphins on NFL radio they did not want to lose Capers.  So I can see why they didn't want to let him go, and his track record as a head coach has not been that good, so this may prove to be a wise decision.