The Dolphins completed interviews with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard for their head coaching job, the team announced on Monday.
Graham was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator in 2019.
He joined the Raiders as a member of Josh McDaniels’ staff in 2022, and he remained with the team through the changes to Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll. The Raiders fired Carroll after one season.
Graham served as the defensive coordinator for the Giants in 2020-21. He spent seven seasons in various roles with the Patriots and has also worked as an assistant with the Packers.
Sheppard became the Lions’ defensive coordinator a year ago — his first time as a coordinator — when Aaron Glenn left to become the Jets’ head coach. Sheppard was the Lions’ outside linebackers coach (2021) and linebackers coach (2022-24) before becoming the team’s coordinator.
The Dolphins have also interviewed or will interview Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, Packers defensive coordinator Jim Hafley, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula. They also had interest in Kevin Stefanski before the Falcons hired him.
Dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. And, thanks to plenty of the perennially dysfunctional teams, the league is a current dysfunction mess.
The current hiring cycle, which at one point seemed like it could be quieter than usual, has sparked turnover with 10 teams. Nearly one third of the league. Two jobs have been filled; with Monday’s termination of Bills coach Sean McDermott, the number of vacancies is back to eight.
Here’s how one current NFL head coach put it, in a Monday morning unsolicited text message to PFT: “At this very moment, [this is] the worst collective of 32 owners in league history.”
It’s a strong statement, but the proof is, if anywhere, in the pudding. Bad teams stay bad. They think that they can turn it around by firing the current coach and hiring a new one, because for other teams it happens.
But the cycle of hiring and firing and hiring and firing contributes to the situation. When the owner has an itchy trigger finger, the coach spends way too much time looking over his shoulder and wondering whether the next decision that doesn’t pan out will be his last.
There’s no competence test to pass in order to qualify to own a team. The paths remain simple (if not easy): (1) have enough money to buy a team; or (2) get your name in the right spot in the will.
While some of the currently vacant jobs are open for reasons unrelated to membership in the gang that couldn’t own straight, most trace to owners who feel like they need to do something, so they fire the coach. In plenty of cases, three years or less after firing the last one.
Meanwhile, the teams with capable owners will benefit. Rash decisions aren’t made. Patience is displayed.
Aaron Rodgers recently blamed the media for the presence of certain coaches on the “hot seat.” The blame goes to those who don’t know what to do (because they secretly don’t know what they’re doing), so they do the easiest thing — fire the coach.
Even if the coach isn’t the biggest part of the problem. Of course, for the truly dysfunctional franchises, the biggest part of the problem isn’t subject to a pink slip. Because owners can’t be fired for general incompetence when it comes to the on-field performance of the team.
Financially, they’re all performing well. They’re all winning, even when they’re losing. And those who are losing will feel compelled to keep the fans believing that the future will be brighter (or less bleak) by dumping the current coach, and by moving to the next coach in who inevitably will be the next coach out.
Much of the focus on the Dolphins’ head coaching search in recent days has been on their second meeting with Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, but he’s not the only candidate meeting with the team on Monday.
Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard are also getting in-person interviews with the team. Longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported the Graham plan last week and there were multiple reports about Sheppard’s interview over the weekend.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes that the two interviews will satisfy the Dolphins’ Rooney Rule requirements, which means they’ll be free to move forward with hiring Hafley or any other candidate they select.
Hafley also has interviews scheduled with the Titans and Raiders, but he won’t be taking them should everything fall into place in Miami.
The Steelers are starting to set up a second round of interviews for their head coaching job.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that they will have an in-person interview with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He spent the 2022 season as a defensive assistant on Mike Tomlin’s staff.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver is also expected to have an in-person interview with the team. All interviews with coaches currently employed by an NFL team have to be held virtually until after the divisional round of the playoffs.
There was also word this weekend that the Steelers are going to meet with former Cowboys and Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. They have also met with Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak.
Shula and Scheelhaase will not be available for second interviews until after the NFC Championship Game.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady spent some time with another AFC East team a day after Buffalo’s season came to an end.
The Dolphins announced the completion of an interview with Brady for their head coaching vacancy on Sunday. The Ravens also interviewed Brady on Sunday.
Brady took over as the offensive coordinator in Buffalo when Ken Dorsey was fired during the 2023 season. The Bills finished sixth in points scored that season and posted second- and fourth-place finishes the last two years.
The Dolphins have also interviewed Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski has been hired by the Falcons while Hafley is set for a second interview with the team this week.
