Jon Embree joined the Miami Dolphins as assistant head coach/tight ends in 2022.
The 2024 season marks Embree's 33rd as a coach, primarily at the tight end position. It's his 16th year coaching in the NFL paired with three years of NFL playing experience and 17 seasons as a college coach.
In 2023, the Dolphins won 11 games for the first time since 2008 and earned a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. It was Miami's first back-to-back postseason appearances since 1997-2001. Under Embree's tutelage, tight end Durham Smythe reached career highs in receptions (35) and receiving yards (355). Embree's group contributed to the pass game and protection in an offense that led the league in total offense (401.3) for the first time since 1994. The Dolphins also ranked first in passing offense (265.5), yards per carry (5.1) and quarterback hits allowed (59). The team's 29.2 points per game were good for second in the league.
In Embree's first season with Miami in 2022, the Dolphins won nine games and earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. His tight ends contributed to a Miami offense that finished in the top 10 (sixth, 364.5 yards per game) for the first time since 1995. The Dolphins also made a big improvement in scoring offense, moving from 22nd in 2021 to 11th (23.4 points per game) in Embree's first season.
He joined the Dolphins after spending five years (2017-21) in San Francisco, where he served as assistant head coach/tight ends. He was primarily responsible for developing tight end George Kittle, who arrived in San Francisco as a fifth-round pick in 2017.
In Kittle's five seasons with Embree, he was the second-most productive tight end in the league, totaling 4,489 receiving yards. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2019 and earned three Pro Bowl selections following the 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons.
In 2021, Embree helped the 49ers advance to the NFC Championship game. Kittle was fourth among all NFL tight ends with 910 receiving yards, despite missing three games due to injury, and was named to the Pro Bowl.
In 2020, Kittle missed half the season due to injury but still caught 48 passes for 634 yards (13.2 avg.). His 634 yards ranked third on the team despite missing eight contests. Two other tight ends totaled at least 200 receiving yards in Ross Dwelley (245) and Jordan Reed (231).
San Francisco won the NFC and advanced to Super Bowl LIV at the end of the 2019 season. The 49ers went 13-3, winning the NFC West. Kittle led the 49ers in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,053) and was one of three NFL tight ends to top 1,000 receiving yards that season. He set the NFL record for the most receiving yards by a tight end through their first three seasons (2,945). Kittle earned first-team All-Pro honors and was named a starter in the Pro Bowl.
Just a year removed from being a fifth-round pick, Kittle had a record-breaking season in 2018. The second-year tight end caught 88 passes for 1,377 yards (15.7 avg.) and five touchdowns. His 1,377 receiving yards led all NFL tight ends and was the most by a tight end in NFL history at the time. He also set a 49ers tight end franchise record with 88 receptions. Kittle earned second-team All-Pro honors and was selected to the Pro Bowl.
In 2017, Embree mentored Kittle during his rookie season. The young tight end finished third on the team in receiving with 43 receptions for 515 yards (12.0 avg.). Tight end Garrett Celek set a single-season career high with four touchdown receptions.
Embree spent three seasons (2014-16) as tight ends coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2016, the Buccaneers won nine games, posting their first winning season since 2010. Tight end Cameron Brate had the best season in his nine-year NFL career, posting career highs in receptions (57), receiving yards (660) and receiving touchdowns (eight). His eight touchdown receptions were tied for the most by an NFL tight end that season. As a unit, Tampa Bay's tight ends caught 11 touchdowns, which was the most by the team's tight ends since 1985.
In 2015, Embree worked with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who averaged 16.1 yards per catch. The mark was the second-best of any tight end in the NFL that year behind New England's Rob Gronkowski (16.3, min. 20 receptions).
Embree was the tight ends coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2013. He helped tight end Jordan Cameron total 917 receiving yards, second-most by a tight end in the NFL that season. Cameron earned the only Pro Bowl selection of his career the season he was coached by Embree.
From 2011-12, Embree was the head coach at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where he became the third alumnus in school history to be head coach of the football team.
He served as Washington's tight ends coach in 2010 and worked with tight end Chris Cooley, who finished second among NFL tight ends in receptions (77) and third in receiving yards (849) that season.
Embree's first NFL coaching job came in 2006 when he was named tight ends coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. He spent three seasons (2006-08) there, working with Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez.
In 2008, Gonzalez led all NFL tight ends with 96 receptions for 1,058 yards (11.0 avg.) and 10 touchdowns. Gonzalez also led all NFL tight ends with 99 receptions for 1,172 yards (11.8 avg.) while adding five touchdowns in 2007. It marked the only time in Gonzalez's Hall of Fame career that he had consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns.
Gonzalez earned All-Pro honors and was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the three seasons he worked with Embree.
Prior to coaching in the NFL, Embree spent 13 years at the collegiate level. He spent three seasons (2003-05) at UCLA, serving as assistant head coach/wide receivers (2003) and assistant head coach/tight ends (2004-05). He also spent 10 seasons at Colorado (1993-2002), coaching tight ends (1993-94, 1999-2000), defensive ends (1995-98) and wide receivers/kickers (2001-02).
During his collegiate coaching career, Embree mentored two Mackey Award winners, given annually to college football's top tight end. At UCLA, Embree helped tight end Marcedes Lewis earn the honor with 741 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2005. At Colorado, Embree developed tight end Daniel Graham, who won the Mackey Award in 2001 after totaling 753 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
His first coaching job was at Colorado in 1991 as a volunteer assistant. He also coached wide receivers/tight ends at Douglas County (Colo.) High School in 1992.
Embree was a sixth-round pick (166th overall) by the L.A. Rams in 1987. He played two seasons (1987-88) at tight end for the Rams, appearing in 13 games, before suffering a career-ending elbow injury in 1989 with the Seattle Seahawks.
Embree lettered four seasons (1983-86) as a tight end at Colorado. He finished his career with 80 receptions, 1,116 receiving yards and five touchdowns, and graduated with a degree in communications in 1987.
A native of Englewood, California, Embree and his wife, Natalyn, have two sons, Taylor and Connor, and one daughter, Hannah. His sons are also NFL coaches. Taylor is the running backs coach for the New England Patriots and Connor is the wide receivers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. His father, John Embree, played two seasons (1969-70) for the Denver Broncos.
