Dom Capers

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Dom Capers
Date of birth	August 7 1950 (1950-08-07) (age 58)
Place of birth	Image:Flag of Ohio.svg Cambridge, Ohio
Position(s)	Defensive coordinator
College	Mount Union
Career Record	48–80
Coaching Stats	Pro Football Reference
Coaching Stats	DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1992-1994 1995-1998 2002-2005 2006-2007	Pittsburgh Steelers Carolina Panthers Houston Texans Miami Dolphins

Ernest Dominic "Dom" Capers (born August 7, 1950 in Cambridge, Ohio, and from Buffalo, Ohio) is the former defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins as well as the first ever former head coach of the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers.

After playing football for the Meadowbrook High School Colts in Byesville, Ohio, Capers attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio where he played linebacker and safety. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Kent State University and the University of Washington. Later he was an assistant coach at Hawaii, San Jose State, California, Tennessee and Ohio State. After a stint in the USFL, he began his NFL career as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints and was named defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992, including a trip to the AFC Championship game in 1994. He remained with the Steelers until becoming head coach of the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995. After 1995's 7-9 season, a record breaking mark for an expansion team, the Panthers went to the NFC Championship game in 1996. Continuing to spend against the salary cap, and eventually taking control of personnel matters in 1997, the Panthers went 7-9, followed by a dismal 4-12 season in 1998, at the end of which he was terminated.

After being let go from the Panthers, he served as an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars until becoming the head coach of the expansion Houston Texans on January 21, 2001. After starting out 4-12 (2002) and 5-11 (2003) in his first two seasons in Houston, the Texans posted a 7-9 mark in 2004.

Capers was known for his abilities as a defensive coach, and for his conservative play-calling on offense. Several TV announcers were known to predict Texans plays on occasion. He was also famous because he kept a 17 hour per day work schedule and sleeping just five hours per night, often on a couch in his office.

The Texans announced in 2005 following their dismal record of 2-14 (worst in NFL) that Capers would be fired January 2, 2006.

On January 23, 2006, the Miami Dolphins announced the hiring of Dom Capers as the team's defensive coordinator. There, he serves as assistant head coach. With a annual salary of $2.6 million, Capers is the highest paid assistant coach in the National Football League, alongside Washington Redskins assistant head coach Gregg Williams. On Thursday, January 3, Dom Capers was fired along with all offensive and defensive coaches. It is said that the new head coach may hire the assistants back.^[1]

[edit] References

^ ESPN: Fins to make Capers highest-paid assistant

Preceded by Richard Smith	Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinators 2006–2007	Succeeded by TBD
Preceded by expansion	Houston Texans Head Coaches 2002–2005	Succeeded by Gary Kubiak
Preceded by expansion	Carolina Panthers Head Coaches 1995–1998	Succeeded by George Seifert
Preceded by Dave Brazil	Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinators 1992-1994	Succeeded by Dick LeBeau