After four years at the helm, the Miami Dolphins parted ways with head coach Mike McDaniel. McDaniel finished with a 35-33 record with the Dolphins, which ranked as the fifth best winning percentage among head coaches in franchise history. Unfortunately, after back-to-back losing seasons, the Dolphins decided to look for new leadership.
Part of this new leadership in charge of finding a new head coach for the organization includes newly hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Following Sullivan’s hiring, Miami has begun its head coaching search and has been scheduling interviews with potential candidates. According to a new report by NFL insider Josina Anderson, former Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and former Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin are at the top of the Dolphins’ wishlist for the head coaching job.
Unlike Harbaugh, Tomlin was not fired by the Steelers, but instead stepped down. That means if he wants to coach another team in 2026, the Steelers would have to agree to a trade that grants them the rights to the head coach since Tomlin is still under contract. Additionally, Josina Anderson reported that Tomlin “is said to want to coach in a warm weather market if the fit is right.” Tomlin has a history with the Dolphins organization as he interviewed for the Dolphins head coaching vacancy in 2007, when Wayne Huizenga was the team’s owner.
Dolphins Predicted to Hire Head Coach With Ties to Miami
Another potential head coaching candidate that has a history with the Dolphins is Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. Of course, the Shula name is very familiar with Dolphins fans as Chris Shula is the grandson of Dolphins Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula. Don Shula won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins while making five Super Bowl appearances and cementing himself as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.
The Dolphins have already requested an interview with Chris Shula, who led the Rams to a top-10 defense in 2025 in points allowed. He’s served as the Rams defensive coordinator for two seasons now, under head coach Sean McVay. A new ESPN article by Dan Graziano predicts Miami hiring Shula as their new head coach. Graziano wrote, “Too good, right? Don Shula’s grandson coaching Don’s old team? Going into this process, I felt very strongly that Shula would get a head coaching opportunity.
The Shula/Miami connection is too good to pass up. But the Dolphins’ job just opened, and it’s too early to know the eventual top candidates. Shula is well-regarded around the league, and there always seems to be at least one McVay assistant who gets a head coach job.”
Miami Dolphins Head Coach Search
While the Shula history in Miami would be a fun story, it remains to be seen whether Chris is one of Miami’s primary targets. He is one of nine head coaching candidates by the Dolphins. Most recently the Dolphins have scheduled interviews with some familiar faces. Miami was the first team to interview Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who played with the Dolphins for two seasons. Additionally, the Dolphins requested an interview with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Graham was with the Dolphins as their defensive coordinator in 2019 under head coach Brian Flores, but left in the 2020 season in a lateral move as he became the new Giants defensive coordinator.
Dolphins Predicted to Make Surprise Head Coach Hire