With McDaniel out, here are potential candidates to coach the Dolphins
It finally happened.
After four seasons, the Miami Dolphins have elected to move on from coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday. Not only does McDaniel become arguably the hottest name for teams in search of a new offensive coordinator, the Dolphins must now begin a coaching search amid their interviews for a new general manager.
Despite the very obvious cons of the Dolphins coaching gig, mainly constrained cap space and a lack of a franchise quarterback, the position will still be highly coveted. There are only 32 of these jobs available, after all.
Here are a few names that will likely be considered:
▪ John Harbaugh would be the most obvious choice. Not only does he have connections to Stephen Ross’ alma mater the University of Michigan, where both his father and brother coached, he comes with experience.
Prior to his firing earlier this week, Harbaugh coached the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons, accumulating a regular season record of 180-113 record with 13 postseason wins under his belt, including Super Bowl XLVII.
Having coached the linebacker unit from 2020 to 2023, Anthony Campanile actually would be familiar face in the building. In 2024, he left for a similar role with the Green Bay Packers, adding also run game coordinator to his resume. Campanile most recently became defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that ranked first against the run, eighth in scoring and second in takeaways.
▪ Darren Rizzi would also be a familiar choice for the Dolphins as he spent where spent a decade. In 2009, he started as Miami’s assistant special teams coordinator, a role that he held for just two seasons before becoming the leader of the unit. Rizzi even rose to associate head coach for two years prior to leaving the Dolphins after the 2018 season.
From 2019 to 2024, Rizzi was the special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, even becoming interim head coach for the final eight games during his final season. He went 3-5 during that stint. Most recently, Rizzi served as the special teams coordinator and associate head coach for the Denver Broncos.
Outside of Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski has the most coaching experience, leading the Cleveland Browns for six seasons to a regular season record of 45-56. He also went 1-2 in the playoffs.
The former offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, Stefanski won coach of the year twice for his efforts during the 2020 and 2023 seasons. Unfortunately, Stefanski has won just eight games since that 2023 season.
The person with the third-most head coach experience would be Vance Joseph, a man who compiled 11-21 record during his two-season stint with the Denver Broncos that began in 2017.
He previously worked as the defensive coordinator for the Dolphins (2016), Arizona Cardinals (2019-22) and again with the Broncos (2023-2025). Joseph’s most recent work in Denver, however, happens to be some of the most impressive as the unit ranked second in total defense, third in scoring and in the top-ten against both the run and pass.
