Mike McDaniel is out as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. McDaniel, after his fourth season, is down to a 35-33 regular-season record (.515), with an 0-2 playoff mark.
Beyond the Dolphins being eliminated from playoff contention for a second straight season after Week 15, the decision to bench quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led to a rough finish.
In McDaniel's first two seasons (2022 and 2023), the Dolphins went a combined 20-14 to earn back-to-back AFC wild-card playoff berths before going one-and-done each time. Since then, however, the team has gone 15-19.
Although McDaniel is still only 42 years old and signed a contract extension through the 2028 season in August of 2024, the overall results going in the wrong direction after his initial offensive genius label prompted owner Stephen Ross to make a change, delaying te move longer than expected.
This year marks 25 years since the Dolphins won a playoff game. Here are the most intriguing McDaniel replacements to help them end that drought:
MORE: Why Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel after four seasons
Dolphins' 6 best coaching candidates
1. John Harbaugh, former Ravens head coach (age: 63)
Harbaugh's sudden availability in his firing from Baltimore may have made Ross reconsider and move on from McDaniel, with GM Chris Grier already being let go last year. Harbaugh was in play for the previous six openings and there's no doubt Ross will go after Harbaugh, given his Michigan ties to brother Jim. John would be a great get to help turnaround the franchise both with a new QB to replace Tagovailoa and a much-improved defense.
MORE: What's next for John Harbuagh after Ravens firing?
2. Jesse Minter, Chargers defensive coordinator (age: 42)
The Chargers won the sweepstakes for Jim Harbaugh as they had the best overall situation to accelerate his big winning ways in the NFL. But it is developing a strong protege, from Ann Arbor to Los Angeles. Minter has had a profound effect on Harbaugh's defenses with the Wolverines and Chargers. The Dolphins need a big fix on that side of the ball while also restoring some toughness and explosive balance to the offense. Going Harbaugh adjacent with Minter makes a lot of sense.
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3. Jeff Hafley, Packers defensive coordinator (age: 46)
Hafley will be on a lot of coach-needy teams' lists with his work to develop the Green Bay defense into dominance the past two years, with Micah Parsons serving as the cherry on top before he got hurt this season. He also has the strong head coaching experience of leading Boston College for four seasons before his NFL stint. He would be a good pivot from McDaniel to get the defense back on track while the offense goes through a big transition.
MORE: Tracking the latest head coaching firings
4. Anthony Campanile, Jaguars defensive coordinator (age: 43)
The Dolphins should also consider a rising star elsewhere in the Sunshine State. Campanile has done well to bring all the Jaguars' young defensive pieces together to make them a strong playmaking group. He can also have a big impact trying to rebuild and fix a bad front seven and transitional secondary.
5. Ejiro Evero, Panthers defensive coordinator (age: 44)
Evero has worked with Sean McVay during his time with the Rams and now is complementing the offense of coach Dave Canales well in trying to turn around the Panthers. He's yet another young defensive mind to prove a solid 180 from McDaniel.
MORE: Ranking the NFL head coach openings from best to worst
6. Joe Brady, Bills offensive coordinator (age: 36)
Is Brady ready to leave his position as offensive wunderkind and get his first shot despite his young age, a la Kellen Moore with the Saints in 2025? He's getting there with a Josh Allen MVP season and a James Cook massive breakout, tapping into what he did helping Joe Burrow go bonkers for LSU. Brady's time might be now to peel off to help a much more desperate team in the division.