Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel: Here are five potential coaches who could replace him in Miami

It's a full reset for the Miami Dolphins organization

The Miami Dolphins have ripped it down to the studs. Already, the organization was on the hunt for a new general manager after the in-season split with Chris Grier, but now they are also looking for a new head coach. On Thursday, the franchise fired Mike McDaniel after four seasons on the job. This comes after a 7-10 season in 2025 that saw Miami on the outside looking in on the playoffs. 

Midway through the season, it felt like a foregone conclusion that McDaniel was going to be gone, particularly as the team limped out to a 2-7 start to the year. However, Miami rebounded a bit down the stretch, going 5-3 over its final eight games, which led to some momentum being built for McDaniel to keep his job. Once he emerged from Black Monday intact, all signs pointed to McDaniel sticking around. However, as NFL Media notes, after McDaniel met with chairman Stephen Ross this week to discuss the season, Ross came away with the decision to move in a new direction. 

So, what's next for Miami? Who will they bring in to help usher in what they hope will be a brighter tomorrow? Let's roll through a handful of potential candidates that make sense. 

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John Harbaugh

Previous position: Ravens head coach

There are a couple of angles that have our antenna raised when it comes to John Harbaugh possibly being the top target of the Miami Dolphins, and maybe even the catalyst for this McDaniel firing. First, there is the timing of it all. As we noted above, it felt like McDaniel was going to last at least another year, particularly after making it through Black Monday. Fast-forward to Thursday, and he's been kicked to the curb. What's one thing that's changed between Black Monday and Thursday? John Harbaugh became available. Baltimore parted ways with its long-time head coach on Tuesday, and that decision has turned the hiring cycle on its head. While the Ravens feel like they need a new voice in their organization, Harbaugh instantly became the top coach on the market for other clubs, and maybe it forced organizations currently employing a head coach -- like the Dolphins -- to reevaluate.

The second angle centers around Miami's ongoing search for a general manager. Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander is reportedly one of the finalists for the job. If he gets it, that could be even more fuel to the flame for Harbaugh to eventually land with the Dolphins. Alexander spent two decades with the Baltimore Ravens from 1999 to 2019, spending that final decade as the franchise's assistant director of player personnel, working alongside Harbaugh. So, there is already a working relationship between the two, which would bring some much-needed cohesion to Miami. 

Oh, and Stephen Ross, a Michigan alum and big donor to the university, has ties to the Harbaugh family with John's brother, Jim Harbaugh, leading the Wolverines for nine seasons and to a national championship in 2023. 

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Klint Kubiak

Current position: Seahawks offensive coordinator

While we're highlighting Miami's head coach and GM vacancies, let's not ignore the fact that the franchise is also set to move on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, either. That sets the Dolphins up to possibly add a young quarterback through the NFL Draft or explore the veteran market. Either way, they'd probably like to have an offensive-minded coach to help ease that essential piece to the organization through. Kubiak, who has been a hot commodity this hiring cycle, has proven that he can create a high-octane NFL offense. In 2024, he had the New Orleans Saints offense punching above its weight class, and now has the Seattle Seahawks offense among the very best in the league. Seattle was third in the league in scoring, eighth in total yards, and Kubiak has even helped Sam Darnold exceed his breakout in Minnesota a year ago. If Miami is still looking for an offensive-minded coach, you couldn't do much better this go around than Kubiak. 

Anthony Weaver

Current position: Dolphins defensive coordinator

We'll admit that it's somewhat rare to see a team fire its head coach and then simply elevate a member of his staff to replace him, but I do wonder if Miami gives Weaver a look. A part of Miami's turnaround down the stretch was improved play on the defensive side of the ball, and that has led to Weaver becoming one of the more involved candidates this cycle during the interview process. Already, the Cardinals, Falcons, and Ravens have all reportedly put in requests to speak with Weaver about their vacancy, so maybe the Dolphins try to keep someone that the rest of the league values in-house. 

Vance Joseph

Current position: Broncos defensive coordinator

Vance Joseph was arguably the top coaching candidate on the market before John Harbaugh came into the equation. The 53-year-old coach is looking for his second kick at leading an NFL organization after initially breaking in with the Denver Broncos in 2017 and only lasting two seasons. While that first stint didn't play out as well as he'd hoped, Joseph still has a strong reputation across the league and has developed the 2025 Broncos (returned to the team as its DC under Sean Payton in 2023) into one of the best units in the NFL. 

Joseph also has ties to the Dolphins organization, serving as their defensive coordinator in 2016 before being hired by Denver to be their head coach. 

Jesse Minter

Current position: Chargers defensive coordinator

Jesse Minter's name hasn't been mentioned much in the interview request process this week, but that could change after his Chargers play on Wild Card Weekend. Minter has been viewed as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate, and he could be of particular interest to the Dolphins. Minter is coaching under Jim Harbaugh, who has ties to Stephen Ross due to his time at Michigan. Minter was on Harbaugh's Wolverines staff as his DC from 2022 to 2023 and helped them to their national championship before following Harbaugh to Los Angeles. As we noted, Stephen Ross is entrenched at Michigan and is certainly aware of Minter, 42, so it's possible he could view him as a top candidate, especially if he's looking for a younger coach.