Bryan Cox Returns to Dolphins as Pass Rush Coach

Not only was Bryan Cox the Joey Porter of the Miami Dolphins before Porter even entered the National Football League with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but when his playing career was over and he entered the NFL coaching ranks he had a memorable confrontation with Porter.

Now Cox will be wearing the aqua and orange again, only as a teacher, working with the likes of young Cameron Wake and Koa Misi. Miami hired him as the team's pass rush coach on Monday, and with Wake he will be working with a Pro Bowler who finished third in the league in 2010 with 14 sacks. That sack total matches the career-high Cox registered with the Dolphins in 1992, which like Wake happened to be his second season.

Over his 12-year playing career, Cox, who spent the last two season's on Cleveland's staff, sacked the quarterback 51.5 times and was named to the Pro Bowl three times (1992, 1994 and 1995). He spent his first five seasons in Miami (1991-95), then joined the Chicago Bears for two seasons (1996-97). He moved on to the New York Jets from 1998-2000, then to New England in 2001 and finally to New Orleans for his final season in 2002, finishing with 764 career tackles.

Cox's familiarity with the AFC East made him attractive to the Jets again in 2006 when they hired him as an assistant coach with the defensive line. During his final season on that staff in 2008, he returned to Miami for the season-opener against the Dolphins at Sun Life Stadium. Porter was in his second season in Miami and up to his old tricks during pregame warm-ups trying to distract Jets kicker Mike Nugent by knocking the ball off the tee. Cox took exception and told Porter as much.

Porter was released by the Dolphins last offseason after stirring things up on radio row at Super Bowl week and signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Just imagine how interesting training camp would have been -- if there is one -- had Porter still been a Dolphin and found out Cox was going to be his coach.