Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning must work his magic

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flsphenning26sbjul25,0,4326914.story

Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning must work his magic

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

July 25, 2008

Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning is not related to Doug Henning, but he does seem to share the mastery of illusion with the late magician.

Dan Henning always has had the uncanny ability to camouflage his play-calling with lots of motion to throw off opposing defenses. But far more significantly to a franchise stocked with inexperienced receivers and unproven quarterbacks, the 66-year-old Henning has a long history of transforming untapped potential into Pro Bowl starters.

He'll need more than a magic wand and mirrors to transform Ted Ginn Jr., Derek Hagan, Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess into a Redskins-like Posse, but he's done it before. Together, the Dolphins' receivers quartet has a total of seven NFL touchdowns.

"He taught receivers a different way of running patterns that was logical, in which he allowed the quarterback to have space between you and the defensive back by creating a better angle to throw the football," said former Dolphins receiver Jimmy Cefalo, who was under Henning's watch in Miami from 1979-80. "He was the best teacher I ever had."

Former Pro Bowl receivers such as Art Monk, Gary Clark, Steve Smith, Muhsin Muhammad, Wesley Walker and Keyshawn Johnson would all attest to Henning's professorial methods.

"His versatility makes Dan unique," said former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who under (assistant head coach) Henning guided Washington and the Hogs to a Super Bowl title in the 1982 season by utilizing a power running attack featuring John Riggins.

"He's perfect for a football team building a foundation with young players he can mold and take to another level because of his demeanor."

Flashing lights won't stop rookie quarterback Chad Henne from getting flustered or John Beck from fumbling, but Theismann believes Henning — a former quarterback at William & Mary — is the ideal mentor for young quarterbacks.

"He won't get in your face, but he has expectations for you and expects you to hit it. He won't ask you to make throws you can't make," Theismann said.

For the quarterback, he creates an inner air of calm. If you don't believe Theismann, ask Doug Williams, Vinny Testaverde and Rodney Peete who their coach was when they had their best seasons late in their careers.

Five years after their 1982 championship, the Redskins' running attack stalled, so Henning guided a dynamic passing attack with Jay Schroeder and Williams throwing to the Posse (Monk, Clark and Ricky Sanders) for another Super Bowl title.

"We'd watch the film from the week before and he always had something different for you, another piece," said former Dolphins defensive tackle Bob Baumhower. "I don't know what you call it, but Henning was sure creative."

In 1998, two seasons after the Jets' 1-15 campaign, Henning directed Testaverde, then 35, to his most prolific season (101.6 passer rating) when the Bill Parcells-led Jets finished one game shy of the Super Bowl.

Parcells and Henning left the Jets after the 2000 season to retire, but a year later Henning took over the Carolina Panthers' offense. Two years after a 1-15 season, he commanded a balanced offense featuring undrafted quarterback Jake Delhomme, running back Stephen Davis and Smith all the way to the Super Bowl, where they lost 32-29 to the Patriots.

"We wanted to control the line of scrimmage," said Dolphins offensive line coach Mike Maser, who worked with Henning in Carolina. "Dan's a big movement guy and that's one of the things you'll see featured here, lots of window dressing."

Henning said he concocted his offensive formula for success under Dolphins Hall of Fame coach Don Shula when he was his quarterbacks/receivers coach.

"You don't get anything done unless you get it done on the offensive line first and that's where we started building," Henning said. "You just can't be one-dimensional. So it's quite understandable why one of Parcells' first chores after taking over a 1-15 Dolphins team that hadn't sniffed the playoffs since 2002 was to coax his longtime friend off the golf course.

"Some young coaches get locked into a system even if a guy doesn't fit that particular system and then they don't find a role for him," said Parcells, who met Henning while the pair were assistants at Florida State in 1970. "Dan Henning isn't like that. He's flexible."

Henning was only going to serve as Parcells' consultant until a few fiery meetings with rookie head coach Tony Sparano inspired him to store the golf clubs.

"I didn't come here for any gate-keeping. I didn't come here for any rebuild. We came here to try and win now," Henning said. "I would like to see that it will be similar here than it was in Carolina, but as Bill would say, 'They don't sell insurance for this stuff.'"

Still, Henning always seems to have something up his sleeve.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

After reading this article, I'm getting some mojo for this upcoming season!!!