Following the season, the Miami Dolphins decided to part ways with head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel led the Dolphins to a 35-33 record in four seasons, which ranked as the fifth-best winning percentage by a head coach in franchise history. However, with the Dolphins hiring a new general manager, owner Stephen Ross decided it was best for Miami’s head coach to be aligned with the new general manager’s vision.
Soon after Miami fired McDaniel, many around the league linked the Dolphins to Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh, who was fired after the season by the Ravens. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson indicated that Harbaugh was Miami’s top target. When the team was searching for a general manager, one of the four finalists for the job was Chad Alexander, who worked with Harbaugh in Baltimore.
However, the Dolphins opted to go with former Packers vice president on player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. During that process, the Dolphins hired Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman to help consult in their general manager search and according to insider Dianna Russini, Aikman was Sullivan’s biggest supporter.
Miami Dolphins Miss Out on Top Target
Unfortunately, their pursuit of John Harbaugh never materialized . Despite the Dolphins reaching out to Harbaugh, an interview was never scheduled. Harbaugh narrowed his list of teams to the Falcons, Titans and Giants. After meeting with the Giants, Harbaugh was officially announced by New York as their new head coach.
It has not been reported whether Harbaugh did not want the Dolphins job, or whether Miami’s interest changed once Sullivan was hired. However, the team was seemingly interested in hiring a big-name head coach as they reportedly reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers about a potential trade for Mike Tomlin.
With Harbaugh and Tomlin no longer being possibilities for the Dolphins, a frontrunner has emerged. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is currently viewed as Miami’s target for the job. He has a familiarity with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, as they were part of the Packers for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Other Possibilities for the Dolphins
As it currently stands, Hafley is the favorite for the job. Securing him is not a done deal, as he would want to take the job. There is plenty of interest around the league in the Packers defensive coordinator, and the Dolphins job is not seen as an attractive destination. Despite seemingly narrowing down their candidates, Miami is still finishing their first round of interviews.
Hafley has been scheduled for a second interview with the team this week. Additionally, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who won two Coach of the Year awards, was scheduled to have his second interview with the Dolphins. However, Stefanski was announced as the new Falcons’ head coach prior to his second interview with the Dolphins.
So far, only Halfey and Stefanski have been scheduled for a second interview with the Dolphins. However, 11 candidates have interviewed or have been scheduled for an interview for the job.
Dolphins Suffer Blow in Head Coach Search