What is it with the Fins and the 518?

As the high-stakes coaches’ game of thrones plays out in the NFL, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that the Capital Regionites making the biggest headlines all have ties to one franchise: Miami.

It started with Saratoga High alum Anthony Weaver. The hot commodity just finished his two-season stint as defensive coordinator for the Dolphins, and landed an interview for the Bills’ head coaching job last Saturday, (they entertained a long list, but still).

Then came yesterday’s news: Buffalo promoted from within, naming offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the coveted role. Bummer — but Weaver is still in the running for some major gigs.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch in the Sunshine State…

@sienauniversityMiami needed more Saints 🐬 #miamidolphins #collegesearch #sienauniversity #football #nfl

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The Dolphins’ new head coach, Jeff Hafley, is knee-deep in creating his coaching dream team. The 2001 Siena grad (he graduated just in time — the university disbanded its team three years later) cut his teeth with the coaches at UAlbany while completing his master’s degree.

Just last year, Syracuse made news by hiring two-time Super Bowl champion coach Sean Ryan, a native of Hudson Falls, as its quarterback coach. His last year in the NFL? Yup, he was a Fin.

Maybe after a few too many winter storms like the one we just had, the promise of Miami sun and South Beach glam is simply too strong to resist.

Of course, like Ryan and maybe Weaver, they often come back: Enter the great Bill Parcells. The iconic coach served as the Dolphins’ Executive Vice President of Football Operations from 2008 to 2010 — and now has family and a home here in Saratoga.

Fun fact, former Fins players:

RPI grad Andrew Franks played 32 games with the Fins in 2015-16; former Albany Empire (Arena League Football) owner Ron “Jaws” Jaworski was briefly a Dolphin in the ‘80s; and Charlie Leigh, who retired from the NFL in ’74, also played for Miami.

Fun fact, non-Dolphins:

Current Colts co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was a religious studies and geoscience major during her time at Skidmore, although her life ended up taking a very different path. She joined the Indiana team — Dad was billionaire owner and CEO Jim Irsay — in 2008. When he passed away last year, he left the team to his three daughters: Carlie, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson last year, with Carlie becoming CEO.

For the first time in a decade, the Saratoga Springs High School football team is heading to the New York State Football Championships, held December 5–6 at Syracuse University’s JMA Wireless Dome. But this year, the story isn’t just about a team making it back to the state championship — it’s also about the young woman helping lead them there.

Senior kicker Olivia Mancini has been playing tackle football since seventh grade, carving out a spot in a sport where few girls ever get the chance to suit up, let alone excel. What began as a leap of curiosity has grown into a history-making senior season and an inspiring example for girls across the region.

“I never thought I’d be seen as a trailblazer,” she says. “But girls from Saratoga and nearby towns reach out saying how proud they are or how excited their daughters are to see me play.”

The coaches — focused on Saturday’s game — weren’t sure if Mancini was the first female football player to represent the school at the State Championships. (There was one previous female kicker, but did she play in 2015, the last time the Blue Streaks played for the title? Unclear. But a 2015 roster found online did not list any females.)

But she is definitely the first one to have such a starring role — she has bragging rights to the completion of 39 extra points (of 44 attempts) so far this season. (This makes her ranked an impressive No. 13 in the state.)

In addition to holding her own with the boys, she has recently been able to reconnect with female competition, via the school’s flag football program that was established in 2024. “Being part of a team full of women is empowering,” Mancini says. “People are surprised at how physical it can be. You have to be just as tough as in tackle.”

That toughness — paired with the support of coaches who believed in her, including the flag football team’s Founding Head Coach Jon Coons (who also is defensive coordinator for the tackle team) — set the foundation for her growth in the varsity tackle program.

Now, as she prepares to finish her senior season on the state championship stage, Mancini is carrying not just her team, but the hopes of girls watching from the stands, classrooms and living rooms across the Capital Region. Her message to them is simple and direct:

“If you’re thinking about joining — just do it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Keep reading!

NY Giants see a future in female football. Local girls say, game on.

Alice Dalton started playing NFL Saratoga flag football when she was just 6. She quickly fell for the sport — at 12, she’s now a star quarterback for the Bengals — even knowing that her ability to play would come to a crashing halt during her freshman year.

There were simply no options at the time for female flag football players to participate after ninth grade.

Then the New York Giants stepped in.

Read more