An update on Dolphins’ general manager search, who’s doing interviews, timetable
The Dolphins are moving their general manager search into overdrive.
A day after scheduling interviews with seven candidates, the Dolphins began those interviews Tuesday, with the intent of completing them all by Wednesday evening.
After that, in-person interviews will be conducted with candidates who move beyond that first round of interviews.
Except for interim general manager Champ Kelly, all the candidates work for teams that are in the playoffs and their interviews this week will be conducted virtually. If Miami wants to hire someone whose team is still alive in the postseason, that team must give written permission to the Dolphins, per NFL rules.
The candidates who are interviewing: Kelly, Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby, 49ers vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Rams assistant GM John McKay, Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and 49ers assistant general manager RJ Gillen.
On Tuesday afternoon, another name was added to the list: Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, a former Ravens personnel executive who will interview with Miami in the coming days.
A source told the Miami Herald that six people will participate in the interviews from the Dolphins side: owner Stephen Ross, team president Tom Garfinkel, Troy Aikman (the Hall of Fame quarterback who is consulting on the search), Dolphins executive and Hall of Famer Dan Marino, Brandon Shore (the team’s senior vice president of football and business administration) and Danny Sillman (Ross’ son-in-law and the CEO of Ross-owned Relevent, a commercial rights organization that buys/sells/activates media licensing rights for major sports leagues like La Liga).
Coach Mike McDaniel will not participate in the interviews. As part of routine information-gathering, the Dolphins are asking McDaniel for input on the candidates because he knows several of them. He worked with three of the seven candidates when he was on the 49ers coaching staff.
But McDaniel will not be making the GM decision, nor is he involved in crafting the list of candidates.
During his season-ending news conference on Monday, McDaniel was asked four questions about the team’s general manager search. Here were his full responses:
How involved will you be in the general manager hiring process and interview process?
“I’m going to be a part of the process, and beyond that I think the main objective and what everyone is counting on is that we have a cohesive crew of people that are working in the same direction. I’m happy to support all of that. It’s not my decision to make, nor would I think that would be an intelligent way to go about business. I think we need to one step at a time improve our football team from the state that it’s in and that will be the first of many processes.”
What’s important part of the coach-general manager relationship?:
“I would say sole, unequivocal focus on the team over self, people that can trust each other, that are highly motivated to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I think in the National Football League, in high pressure jobs, you really rely on each other’s trust. Obviously all the candidates will be more than qualified, but I think that’s an important aspect of any football team that I’ve seen be successful and I know all the people that I work with understand that.”
In terms of the process of you being involved in the GM search, do you recommend names or do you just, whatever candidate comes up you just kind of give your info or bounce ideas?
“I’ve been in the National Football League for 20 years, so I’m a great resource for when I have overlap and working experience with people. I’m not curating the list, that’s not my decision. I think it’s in the best interest of everyone that we hire the best person for the Miami Dolphins and that’s my sole – the only thing that I’m really trying to do is aid, assist and help. I think I have a great relationship with Tom Garfinkel andBrandon Shore and (Mr. Ross, and collectively the idea is to get the best person, so I try to stay out of pointing what direction to go because that’s not really my area of expertise.”
On the candidates, how would you categorize your relationship with Interim General Manager Champ Kelly and then how much do you like that three of them are guys you have worked with, with the San Francisco 49ers?
“I think it’s kind of uncharted territory every time you see someone do it. I think it’s a very tall task to be an interim anything. I think the job that Champ (Kelly) did was phenomenal and inherently interim jobs aren’t the ideal scenario, but I think really his communication with me was phenomenal, really he just added value day in, day out. I’ll absolutely stand on that experience. How that measures up to other candidates? Again this isn’t my decision, I’m there to aid and we’re trying as a group to get to the best decision possible.
“With regard to you said the three candidates, just in general, the NFL is a small circle so you hope to have some working experience with guys or utilize your tight relationships amongst coaches around the league who have experience because you just want to be able to stand by the day in, day out work ethic. Beyond that it only goes so far as to a degree of known, meaning that I worked in the building with those guys and can stand by their daily approach, but the nuances to the position – I wouldn’t say it’s ideal by any stretch; I think it’s fortunate to know some guys, but ultimately, I could care less if I’ve ever worked in the same building with the best candidate and the one that should be the next general manager for the Dolphins.”
McDaniel future
A source directly involved with candidates for the job said Monday night that the Dolphins had not informed candidates if McDaniel will be retained as coach. It’s unclear what Ross would say if he is asked that question during Zoom interviews with any of the candidates.
Signs are pointing toward a McDaniel return next season. Nevertheless, NFL Network is the only national outlet reporting definitively that he is expected back.
SI.com’s Albert Breer said that could change if the Ravens and John Harbaugh part ways. But The Miami Herald has not independently confirmed that.
Unlike last year, when a statement was released an hour after the final game, the Dolphins have not announced whether McDaniel will be retained. He’s under contract for next season.
McDaniel said that he and Ross will meet again later this week.
“I’ve spoken with Mr. Ross and realistically, we are getting together later in the week to discuss what needs to be discussed,” McDaniel said.
“We both share the sentiment that we’re not where we want to be, and in this business you have to have a plan and a plan of action to improve that play. I think those discussions are very important and healthy, and I think the fan base is counting on that to occur. We’re not just dismissing this season as, ‘Oops, we’ll try again.’ No, you’re trying to attack things, control your controllables with a bottom line of: we need to improve this football team now and set forth a plan to do that.”
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 12:11 PM.
