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Dom Capers, one of the most respected defensive coaches in the NFL is entering his second season with the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Of Capers’ 21 seasons in the NFL, nine have been spent as a head coach, including four with the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and five with the Houston Texans (2001-05).
In Capers’ initial season heading up the Dolphins’ defense in 2006, the unit allowed an average of 289.1 yards per contest, as they ranked No. 4 in overall defense in the NFL, a 14-spot improvement from the previous season. They also ranked fifth in points allowed (283) and third in total sacks (47). Defensive end Jason Taylor and linebacker Zach Thomas both were voted to the AFC Pro Bowl squad, while Taylor was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the second player to earn this accolade under Capers’ tutelage, as Pittsburgh cornerback Rod Woodson came away with the honor in 1993 while Capers was the Steelers’ defensive coordinator.
Capers was hired by the expansion Texans on January 21, 2001, more than a year before the franchise played its first game. After finishing 4-12 in the club’s inaugural season, the team improved its record from the previous year in both 2003 (5-11) and 2004 (7-9) before falling to 2-14 in 2005.
Taking over an expansion team was nothing new for Capers, who also was the head coach with the Carolina Panthers from 1995-98. He guided that team to a 7-9 record in its first season, as they set an NFL record for most wins by an expansion club. That year, he was the Pro Football Weekly/PFWA Coach of the Year. The following year, the Panthers posted a record of 12-4, captured the NFC West title, and played in the NFC Championship game where they fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. For his team’s performance, Capers was a consensus choice as NFL Coach of the Year. Carolina’s four-year record under Capers was 30-34.
Capers got his start in the pro coaching ranks as defensive backs coach with the Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars of the USFL from 1984-85, as the team claimed the league title both years. He followed Jim Mora to the NFL in 1986 and served as the Saints’ defensive backs coach from 1986-91, during which time the team qualified for the playoffs three times the first three postseason appearances in that franchise’s history. In his final year in New Orleans, the Saints finished second in the NFL in pass defense. Capers was named defensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992. The Steelers won a pair of AFC Central Division crowns during Capers’ three years with the team (1992-94), made the playoffs all three years and played in the AFC Championship game in 1994. Linebacker Greg Lloyd and cornerback Rod Woodson each were selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad all three seasons. In Capers’ last season in Pittsburgh, the Steelers led the NFL in rush defense as he was named the Assistant Coach of the Year by Pro Football Weekly/PFWA. Following his first stop as a head coach, Capers was named defensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1999, and manned that spot for the next two years. Under Capers, the Jaguars ranked fourth in the NFL in total defense in his first season there, a 21-spot improvement from the previous year. Jacksonville also led the NFL in scoring defense that year (13.6 ppg), set club records for sacks (57) and interceptions (19), and equaled the team mark for takeaways (30). Following the season, Capers was named Assistant Coach of the Year by several media outlets.
Prior to embarking on his professional coaching career, Capers made stops as a collegiate assistant at Kent State (graduate assistant, 1972-74), Hawaii (1975-76), San Jose State (1977), California (1978-79), Tennessee (1980-81) and Ohio State (1982-83).
Capers graduated with a degree in physical education and a minor in psychology from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where he played safety and linebacker. He went on to earn his master’s degree in administration from Kent State.
Capers grew up in Buffalo, Ohio, where he was a star athlete at Meadowbrook High School. He still hosts an annual charity golf tournament in the area, which raises money for the American Heart Association. Capers resides in South Florida with his wife, Karen. | 