Following the season, the Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel after a 7-10 season. Unlike most teams, the Dolphins waited a few days to make that decision and did not immediately dismiss McDaniel. Instead, they consulted potential general managers candidates before coming to the decision.
McDaniel has garnered interest around the league, as he’s already been interviewed by teams with a head coaching vacancy. He’s also been interviewed for teams’ vacant offensive coordinator positions. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have cast a wide net with 11 candidates either interviewed or scheduled to interview.
However, the Dolphins may be having difficulty enticing potential candidates to take the job, as Bleacher Report ranked them the sixth-best head coaching opening among eight around the league. Their top target, John Harbaugh, has already signed with the Giants. Despite Miami reaching out to Harbaugh, they never had a formal interview.
Miami Dolphins Miss Out on Coaching Target
With the Dolphins hiring former Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager, many made the connection between Sullivan and Jeff Hafley. Hafley has served as the Packers defensive coordinator the past two seasons, and has been a popular head coaching candidate around the league. According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, Hafley has emerged as the frontrunner for the Dolphins’ head coaching job.
However, despite the report, the team is still in the process of conducting their interviews. The Dolphins had previously announced they had interviewed former Browns head coach and two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski was originally expected to meet with the Dolphins for a second interview, but Stefanski was announced as the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He’s the first of Miami’s 11 candidates to have officially signed elsewhere.
Remaining Dolphins’ Candidates
As it currently stands, Hafley appears to be the overwhelming favorite to become the new Dolphins head coach. Aside from the connection with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, Hafley has head coaching experience at the college level. He’s the only candidate scheduled for a second interview with the team.
Additionally, the Dolphins have not been able to hold in-person interviews with all possible candidates as some are still coaching in the postseason. Candidates, Robert Saleh, Jesse Minter, and Joe Brady are all eligible for in-person interviews now that their teams have been eliminated. It remains to be seen whether the Dolphins will request a second interview with them.
Hafley’s second interview with the Dolphins is scheduled for Monday. He has a second interview scheduled on Tuesday with the Titans, but as Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh showed, it is possible for a head coach to sign with a new team despite having additional interviews scheduled.
Hafley’s head coaching background includes four seasons as the head coach at Boston College. Hafley led Boston College to a 22-26 record, which included the team being bowl-eligible in three out of the four seasons Hafley led the team. He finished his tenure with a 7-6 record in 2023, which ended with a win in the Fenway Bowl over No. 24 ranked SMU.
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