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The Miami Dolphins shocked the NFL on Thursday by firing head coach Mike McDaniel. It is a surprising move in part because it happened days after most teams fire their coaches following the regular season. McDaniel was in hot water earlier this season, but turned it around and led the Dolphins to a 7-10 record. Unfortunately, it was not enough to save his job.
Now McDaniel will immediately become a top candidate for (presumably) an offensive coordinator role with another team. Meanwhile, the Dolphins will play catch-up by beginning their head coaching search right away.
The elephant in the room is John Harbaugh.
Not only is Harbaugh the top head coaching candidate on the market, but he has close ties to the Dolphins. Harbaugh and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross both attended the University of Michigan. Miami has also pursued both Jim and John Harbaugh in the past. The connection between the Dolphins and Harbaugh are all right there.
But at this point, it is only rumor. While Harbaugh could be a key candidate for the Dolphins, the team has not made any inquiries about their vacant head coaching role just yet per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
So who should be at the top of the Dolphins list? And who should they pursue in addition to the former Ravens head coach?
Below we will explore some of the top head coaching candidates the Dolphins should explore after firing Mike McDaniel on Thursday.
Harbaugh should be every team’s top candidate.
The veteran head coach spent the last 18 years with the Ravens. During that time, he went 180-113 during the regular season. That gives his Ravens teams a winning percentage of .614 which is absolutely incredible in the NFL.
But even more important is his history of success during the postseason. Baltimore went 13-11 during the playoffs during the Harbaugh years, including a Super Bowl championship during the 2012 season.
There are a number of additional benefits that could go along with hiring Harbaugh. The next step would be building a staff, and he has plenty of connections that could help Miami build an incredible group right away.
Harbaugh reportedly won’t take any head coaching interviews until next week. That gives Miami time to throw their hat in the ring, which is huge considering that they are days behind their competition.
But the Dolphins need to have a backup plan in case he goes to a more desirable situation.
The other big name on the market is former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski’s head coaching record is 45-56 during the regular season. However, he led the Browns to two 11-win seasons and their only playoff victory of this century. He’s obviously a quality head coach.
Miami may need a few seasons to rebuild their roster, which Stefanski has some experience with in Miami. If the 43-year-old is up for the...
