One of the most innovative coaches in the history of the sport is being recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mike Westhoff, who coached in the NFL for 33 seasons – including 15 with the Dolphins, has been selected as one of this year's recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Award of Excellence.
The award recognizes individuals across five categories who have helped drive the accomplishments of their profession, individual NFL Clubs and the sport of pro football.
Westhoff has been often described by his peers as an additional head coach throughout his career. He worked alongside Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson and Sean Payton. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Indiana in 1974 before coaching various positions at the college level and eventually making the jump to the NFL in 1982.
After a three-year stint with Indianapolis and one season with the Arizona Outlaws of the United States Football League, Westhoff found his home in South Florida. The Dolphins consistently had one of the best kicking games in the league thanks in large part to Westhoff's innovative approach.
"He revolutionized the special teams game," former Dolphins wide receiver and returner O.J. McDuffie said. "You know how Augusta Tiger-proofed the course? The NFL did the same thing with Mike Westhoff. All the wedge blocks, triple teams, he was second to none. He could get a guy like me who ran a 4.5 flat wide open in the league."
One of Westhoff's greatest contributions became a mainstay in the league for decades. In an era when multiuse fields and artificial turf were all the rage, Westhoff and kicker Olindo Mare devised a new approach to the onside kick. Rather than lofting the football, Mare would drive it directly into the Astroturf or baseball diamond surface, popping it into the air and eliminating any ability for a fair catch.
Onside kick rules have since changed, but this remains a common technique used today. While there's no definitive information available on who was responsible for this style, those that worked with Westhoff said he was one of its pioneers.
"That was the first time I saw it," McDuffie said. "He was always tinkering. Every six weeks he changed up his entire plan. It was so much fun going into his meetings because you were always going to learn something new."
Westhoff was more than a genius schemer, he also found players in every corner of the country. Larry Izzo recorded nearly 300 special teams tackles over the course of his 13-year career – a career that nearly never took off.
An over-looked, 220-pound linebacker from Rice, Izzo didn't have the NFL's ear when he left college. He took it upon himself to cut his own tape with his highlights and sent it to Mike Westhoff.
"If it wasn't for Mike Westhoff, I would not have a career," Izzo said on the Fish Tank podcast in 2020.
Izzo approached NFL scouts with his highlight tape during his pro day. One scout told him, "You're just not really what we're looking for and there comes a time where you've got to move on with your life," Izzo recalled.
But the tape caught the eye on one coach who saw potential. Through a friend of a friend, Izzo got his tape to Westhoff. Shortly after, Izzo worked out for Westhoff and signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 1996 NFL Draft. Izzo was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie team that year and went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL, earning three Pro Bowls selections, one first-team All-Pro honor and three Super Bowl titles.
Westhoff left Miami for the New York Jets in 2001 and retired in 2012. He returned to the sidelines in 2017 to coach the Saints special team's unit for two years and concluded his career with the Denver Broncos as an assistant head coach during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Westhoff is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential special teams coaches in the history of the National Football League. He got the most out of his players – whether it was an undersized, undrafted rookie or a future Hall of Famer – and now he takes his place among the latter.
