The Miami Dolphins have been busy to begin the offseason. They already knew they were going to need a new general manager after Chris Grier was fired midway through the 2025 campaign, but after firing Mike McDaniel on Thursday, they need a new head coach now, too. Oh, and they will also likely be looking for a new quarterback after Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the regular season.
To say the Dolphins have their work cut out for them this offseason may be an understatement. They crossed off the first item on their to-do list when they hired former Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan to be their new general manager on Friday. And after receiving help from Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman throughout their general manager hiring process, it sounds like he will continue to work with the team as it looks for its next head coach.
Troy Aikman Set to Advise Dolphins Throughout Head Coach Search
New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is leading the search with owner Stephen Ross, but Aikman will assist.
After posting a 7-10 record in 2025, the Dolphins finally decided it was time to blow things up and start from scratch. In an effort to get things right this time around, owner Stephen Ross decided to bring Aikman in to help in an advisory role throughout the team’s general manager search. That led to the hiring of Sullivan, with the move receiving positive marks across the league.
Aikman’s football acumen is widely respected among folks in the NFL. During his 12-year playing career as the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Aikman was a six-time Pro Bowler who led the team to three Super Bowls. After retiring, he successfully transitioned into the world of sports media, where he’s worked as a color commentator for NFL games since 2001.
Given his work as a broadcaster, Aikman is still very familiar with the league, as he sees firsthand what it takes to win games every week. That’s something that the Dolphins clearly value, and after he helped the team land on Sullivan as its new general manager, he’s expected to continue helping them as they search for a head coach now.
“ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman, who consulted on the Dolphins GM search, will also be working in a similar capacity for their head coach search, sources say,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is leading the search with owner Stephen Ross, but Aikman will assist.”
Who Should the Dolphins Hire as Their Next Head Coach?
GettyTroy Aikman will continue helping the Dolphins in their search for a new head coach
While Sullivan and Ross will be the leaders in determining who the Dolphins’ next head coach will be, Aikman’s opinion will certainly be taken into account as well. While McDaniel enjoyed some success with Miami, he quickly flamed out by the time this season wrapped up. With this new hire, the Dolphins are going to be hoping to build a sustainable playoff contender.
There are a plethora of options available, with Miami getting linked to guys like former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in the early going. Seven other teams need new head coaches, though, which will make this hiring process extra chaotic. As a result, it will be worth keeping tabs on the Dolphins to see who they end up deciding on as their next head coach.
Hall of Fame QB Still Working with Dolphins GM & Owner on Head Coach Search