The Dolphins, after seemingly planning to pair coach Mike McDaniel with a new General Manager, have decided to go with a fresh start.
That means McDaniel will be moving on, after four years with the Dolphins.
“Coaching this team and being a part of this great franchise has been the honor of a lifetime,” McDaniel said. “When I took this job, I had a vision of a team that was bonded together and played with passion and energy on the path to winning championships. I gave everything I had for that goal.
“I am disappointed, especially for the fans, that we did not have better results on the field, but I am grateful for every coach, player, and staff member who poured themselves into that vision alongside me. I’m grateful to Stephen Ross for the opportunity he gave me, a little known coach at the time when he hired me. Most of all I’m thankful to my wife Katie and daughter Ayla for their unending love and support. I love this game, the people and relationships that are a part of it, and I will forever cherish my time in Miami.”
In four seasons, the 42-year-old McDaniel generated a record of 35-33, with two playoff appearances. Including the postseason, he finishes 35-35.
His offensive system works very well, when he has the right personnel to execute it. Too often, however, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t available. More recently, there were too many turnovers.
And the narratives about the team’s toughness, especially in cold-weather games, only got stronger with more and more opportunities to reverse it. Entering 2025, the message was that the culture would change. By year four, that’s tough for any coach to do.
McDaniel’s methods could still work well elsewhere, either as a head coach or as an offensive coordinator. His book has many more chapters, and there will be another opportunity to write a few as the head coach of another team.
The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday, setting him up to be one of the top offensive coordinator candidates available in this coaching cycle.
But there’s also a chance McDaniel lands another head coaching job right away.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns have interest in McDaniel as a candidate for their head coaching vacancy.
McDaniel has some history with the organization, albeit from a while ago. He was Cleveland’s receivers coach in 2014 under head coach Mike Pettine when Kyle Shanahan was the team’s offensive coordinator. When Shanahan departed the organization, McDaniel followed him to Atlanta and then to San Francisco.
Cabot notes that McDaniel has long been admired inside the Browns’ building and has been on the team’s radar for some time. The club will do its due diligence on McDaniel now that he is available.
The Browns beat the Dolphins 31-6 in 2025. McDaniel was 35-33 in the regular season and 0-2 in the postseason with Miami.
The Dolphins became the eighth NFL team to make a coaching change since the start of the 2025 season when they fired Mike McDaniel on Thursday.
McDaniel’s ouster came days after the end of the regular season and after McDaniel held a pair of press conferences that focused on his plans to move the team in a different direction during the 2026 season. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross released a statement about the decision shortly after news of the change was reported by multiple outlets.
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change. I informed Mike McDaniel this morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” Ross said. “I love Mike and want to thank him for his hard work, commitment, and the energy he brought to our organization. Mike is an incredibly creative football mind whose passion for the game and his players was evident every day. I wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
The timing of the change has led to immediate speculation that the Dolphins will be making a run at hiring John Harbaugh as their next head coach. The team has been linked to Jim Harbaugh in the past due in large part to Ross’ role as a major donor to the University of Michigan and we should learn soon if they’ll wind up with a different Harbaugh on the sideline at Hard Rock Stadium.
As it turns out, Mike McDaniel will not return in 2026.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has fired McDaniel on Thursday.
McDaniel, 42, finishes his Dolphins tenure with a 35-33 record. He was hired in 2022, going 9-8 with a postseason appearance in his first season. The club improved to 11-6 in 2023, but again lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Miami was 8-9 in 2024 and 7-10 in 2025. The Dolphins and former General Manager Chris Grier parted ways midway through the season.
Now the Dolphins will have the opportunity to start fresh with a new G.M. and head coach.
One of the new regime’s first big decisions will be addressing the quarterback position with Tua Tagovailoa.
At least one team is interested in speaking with Brian Flores in this coaching cycle.
Via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Ravens plan to interview the Vikings’ defensive coordinator and former Dolphins head coach.
Albert Breer of SI.com notes the interview will take place next week.
Flores, 44, has been with the Vikings since 2023. Minnesota’s defense finished No. 3 in yards allowed and No. 7 in points allowed in the 2025 season.
Flores was Miami’s head coach from 2019-2021, registering a 24-25 record. The Dolphins were 5-11 in 2019, 10-6 in 2020, and 9-8 in 2021.
Even without a head coaching job, Flores may end up departing the Vikings as his contract is up as defensive coordinator. He is also involved in an arbitration and litigation case against the NFL and multiple teams (Giants, Dolphins, Broncos, and Texans).
