Black Monday has been extended into Thursday, as the Miami Dolphins have let head coach Mike McDaniel go after four seasons and a 35-33 record. Daniels did get a playoff berth after an 11-6 record in his second season, but the team has regressed the last two seasons with 8-9 and 7-10 records and no playoffs. An awful start to the season had McDaniel as an almost guaranteed coaching casualty, but the Dolphins were competitive in the second half of the season and it seemed like McDaniel had a shot at sticking around.
But things change and the team will move on. We’ll take a look at some possibilities at new head coaches to lead the Dolphins forward.
John Harbaugh (former Ravens head coach)
One reason Dolphins owner Stephen Ross may have let McDaniel go is because the Ravens let Harbaugh go in a surprise move. Harbaugh should have his pick of available teams, but it’s hard to see the Dolphins job as that appealing. They have way overpaid Tua Tagovailoa and are currently over the cap as it is. Turning Miami around will not be quick or easy. But, Ross does have ties to the Harbaughs and there could be mutual interest, especially if the money and beach front property work out. If he wants the job, he gets it.
Vance Joseph (Broncos’ defensive coordinator)
The Dolphins will most-likely look for a head coach that has more experience than McDaniel did and is a “culture setter” in the locker room. I’m sure they’d like someone more serious than McDaniel, who often came off as a wise cracking dork. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I doubt Stephen Ross wants to go with a young, up and coming coach, having just fired coach like that.
Joseph has the experience as a head coach, and his defense in Denver has led an okay team all the way to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Dolphins need to improve their defense and fast. Of course, they also likely need a new quarterback and an overhaul of personnel throughout the roster. Joseph would be a good leader for a team without much hope of a quick turnaround. His strong presence would help lend some gravitas to an organization that hasn’t had that particular trait in a long time.
Kevin Stefanski (former Browns’ head coach)
In the same vein as Harbaugh and Joseph, Stefanski has the experience to stabilize what appears to be a team in disarray. He is more offensive minded than defensive, but with six seasons of head coaching for a poorly run organization, he knows how to handle the many problems the Dolphins have at the moment. He also knows how to delegate the defensive side of the ball and find good coaches and players.
Chris Shula (Rams’ defensive coordinator)
You’ll likely see Shula on a lot of next Dolphins’ head coach lists for obvious reasons. Grandson of Dolphins’ great Don Shula, proven success with the Rams defense, and ties to Sean McVay’s offense, are all useful attributes. He is young though, and would be riskier in the eyes of fans, but the name recognition could go a long way, while also getting a good, productive coach who likely has the energy and drive to want to turn a bad team around.
Jesse Minter (Chargers’ defensive coordinator)
If the Dolphins can’t get Harbaugh, they might be able to get his brother’s defensive coordinator. I expect the Dolphins to lean toward defensive coaches for their search and Minter is one of the young up and coming names. He took over for Mike McDonald as the DC at Michigan and then followed Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers, where his defense has excelled, especially against the pass. Ross might want someone with more experience, but Minter is sought after and for good reason.
