The Miami Dolphins are currently undergoing their search for the 15th head coach in franchise history. The head coach will be the first hired by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He’ll also be the fifth full-time head coach hired by owner Stephen Ross.
Previously Ross has prioritized head coaches with an offensive background, as three out of his previous four hirings have been offensive coordinators. Ross has yet to hire a head coach with previous experience as a head coach.
Miami’s top target, according to Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, is former Ravens Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, reports have indicated that Harbaugh has narrowed down his options to the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans. While Miami did reach out to Harbaugh, the team has yet to complete or schedule an interview.
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Another name that has been mentioned as a possibility for the Dolphins is current Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. While Hafley does not have NFL head coaching experience like Harbaugh, he has held that position before at the college level. Hafley was the head coach at Boston College for four seasons, before deciding to return to the NFL, where he has served as the Packers defensive coordinator for the previous two seasons.
As a head coach, Hafley led Boston College to an unimpressive 22-26 record in four seasons. However, Boston College was bowl eligible in three out of the four seasons Hafley led the team. He finished his tenure with a 7-6 record in 2023, which ended with a win in the Fenway Bowl over No. 24 ranked SMU. He then decided to return to the NFL, as he didn’t enjoy the college football landscape and lack of regulation for the NIL and transfer portal. The move was seen as shocking, as Boston College seemed to be trending in the right direction.
New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has ties with Hafley, as they both spent the previous two seasons in the Packers organization. Sullivan was Green Bay’s vice president of player personnel. Hafley was the third candidate that the Dolphins announced had completed an interview. The first two were Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Additional Miami Dolphins Candidates
Throughout this process, the Dolphins have cast a wide net of candidates. Currently, the team has either completed or scheduled an interview with 11 candidates. Out of the 11 men, a majority of the candidates have a defensive background. The latest one to have been reported is Joe Brady, who represents a change to the trend. Brady is the current offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. The only other coaches with an offensive background are Klint Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski.
The remaining eight candidates are current defensive coordinators around the league. Out of those eight, only 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has previous head coaching experience. Saleh served as the Jets head coach for three and a half seasons. He held a 1-5 record against the Miami Dolphins.
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