After a 7-10 season, the Miami Dolphins made the decision to part ways with head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel led the Dolphins to a 35-33 record, which ranks fifth among Dolphins’ head coaches.
McDaniel’s firing marks the end of an era for the Dolphins. They previously fired general manager Chris Grier after the team’s 1-6 start this year, but gave McDaniel a chance to “save his job” during the season. Despite finishing the year 6-4 in their final ten games, owner Stephen Ross released a statement saying, “After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change.” Now, they will begin a search for a new head coach for the first time since the 2022 offseason.
Early List of Possible Candidates
Early signs after McDaniel’s firing linked the Dolphins to Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh. However, Miami is not the only team interested in hiring the former Ravens coach and will have competition around the league for his services. After a new general manager is hired, which is expected to happen in the coming days, Miami will begin interviewing possible candidates for their head coaching vacancy.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler has revealed some potential names the Dolphins might go after. Fowler mentioned defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who he said is “well-liked among Dolphins players.” Weaver has already been requested to interview for three different head coaching vacancies, despite the defense ranked outside the top-20 in 2025. Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith was also mentioned by Fowler as a potential candidate, as he also interviewed for head coaching vacancies last year.
Some of the names Fowler mentioned that are outside the Dolphins building included: former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden, and former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Fowler added that Gruden and Belichick might be unlikely as they would come with media scrutiny and attention. All of the previously mentioned names have head coaching experience. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has never hired a head coach with prior NFL head coaching experience.
Inexperienced Candidates
Aside from the veteran coaches with past head coaching experience, Fowler also mentioned some coordinators who might become candidates for the Dolphins job. Some of the names included were: Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
The two names that jump out from that list are Jeff Haffley and Chris Shula. Haffley has a connection with Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, who is one of the remaining candidates for Miami’s general manager job. Meanwhile Chris Shula has an obvious tie with Dolphins legendary head coach Don Shula. Chris Shula is the grandson of the Dolphins’ two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Candidates Emerge in Dolphins’ Head Coach Search