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The Miami Dolphins’ decision to fire head coach Mike McDaniel was not influenced by the availability of John Harbaugh, according to a report detailing the organization’s internal process leading up to the move.
Miami dismissed McDaniel on Thursday after four seasons and a 35-33 regular-season record, ending a tenure that included two playoff appearances but concluded with back-to-back non-playoff seasons. The move immediately prompted speculation that the Dolphins acted quickly due to Harbaugh’s recent dismissal by the Baltimore Ravens. However, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that was not the case.
“Some context into the Dolphins’ decision to fire Mike McDaniel, per multiple people involved in the decision,” Darlington wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Darlington reported that Dolphins owner Steve Ross met with McDaniel on Tuesday, a conversation that played a central role in the decision. While Ross reportedly remains fond of McDaniel, the meeting led to deeper concerns about the team’s trajectory.
“Owner Steve Ross met with McDaniel on Tuesday, and the outcome of the meeting left Ross very conflicted,” Darlington wrote. “He really likes Mike — ‘loves his intelligence and offensive mind’ — but Tuesday’s meeting resulted in some hard thoughts. Ross didn’t feel like the results were there, and despite the end-of-year production, Ross simply wasn’t comfortable moving forward with the ‘status quo.’”
Darlington directly addressed the speculation surrounding Harbaugh, calling it “the elephant in the room,” and reported that Miami had not reached out to the veteran coach before making its decision.
“I’m told the Dolphins have not yet been in touch with John Harbaugh or anyone in his camp, and people close to the decision are adamant this decision to move away from McDaniel is independent of Harbaugh’s availability,” Darlington wrote.
According to the report, Miami plans to delay its head coaching search until a new general manager is hired, a process expected to be completed within the next several days.
“I’m told the Dolphins will conduct the head coaching search after a GM is in place,” Darlington wrote. “Yes, it obviously could lead to discussions with Harbaugh. And yes, one of the GM candidates (Chad Alexander) is very close to Harbaugh. But people close to the situation tell me this decision to fire Mike would have been made either way.”
The move represents a clear reset for the Dolphins heading into the 2026 NFL season. Miami closed the 2025 campaign with a 38-10 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 18, finishing 7-10 and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year under McDaniel.
McDaniel guided Miami to wild-card appearances in each of his first two seasons but struggled to sustain that success. Injuries, inconsistency, and late-season collapses contributed to the organization’s decision to change direction.
With McDaniel out and a general manager hire imminent, the Dolphins enter the offseason focused on reshaping their leadership structure, with coaching candidates expected to be evaluated only after the front office is finalized.
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