Lee leaves Ole Miss to rejoin Parcells

The Miami Dolphins hired a coach this week, just not a head coach. David Lee has left Houston Nutt's staff at Mississippi to become the Dolphins' quarterbacks coach, Nutt said Tuesday.

Lee will be rejoining Bill Parcells, Miami's new vice president of football operations, for whom Lee worked with the Dallas Cowboys.

While the Dolphins have not announced Lee's hiring and declined comment Tuesday, it became public when Nutt started looking for a new offensive coordinator.

"Everyone knows I'm looking for a new quarterback coach and offensive coordinator," Nutt said.

Also, former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan became the third candidate to interview for the Dolphins' head coaching job.

Ryan has also interviewed for the Ravens' job. He and the rest of the Baltimore coaching staff were fired along with coach Brian Billick following a 5-11 season.

The son of former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan, the 45-year-old Ryan coached the Ravens' defense to rankings of fifth, first and sixth the past three seasons.

Last weekend the Dolphins interviewed front-running candidate Tony Sparano, the Cowboys' assistant head coach. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier interviewed Monday and Tuesday.

The Dolphins fired Cam Cameron last Thursday after he went 1-15 in his first year as an NFL head coach.

Lee was Parcells' quarterbacks coach in Dallas from 2003-06 and their relationship dates back to the early 1970s. Parcells resigned after last season and went to work for ESPN and Lee returned to Arkansas, where he was an assistant twice before.

When Nutt resigned at Arkansas and took the Ole Miss job, Lee followed him to Oxford. Nutt announced Lee would be offensive coordinator in a December news conference, but Lee had not yet signed a contract worth $300,000 a year when he informed Nutt on Monday he wanted to take the Dolphins job.

Nutt said Lee would make about $100,000 more a year, along with better retirement benefits.

Lee helped Parcells mold raw prospect Tony Romo into a Pro Bowl quarterback. He'll have a similar task ahead, assuming Parcells hangs on to John Beck, the rookie from BYU who made his debut in the Dolphins' 10th game.

Nutt said Beck is getting a great tutor.

"He's probably one of the best teachers on the field in America," Nutt said.

Nutt also announced Tuesday that he hired Mike Markuson and Tracy Rocker, who were both with him at Arkansas.

Markuson is the only offensive line coach Nutt has had and will continue in that role at Ole Miss. He'll also serve as running game coordinator. Rocker will handle the defensive line.

Nutt said he's already searching for Lee's replacement.