Four years ago, the Miami Dolphins hired a relatively young head coach after his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator. Although Mike McDaniel led the team to the playoffs twice during his tenure, he failed to lead the Dolphins to a playoff victory and was fired after a 7-10 season.
So the idea of another relatively inexperienced head coach — such as Jeff Hafley, Chris Shula or Clint Kubiak — might feel like a path the Dolphins don’t want to take. With veteran, successful coaches like John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin no longer employed, Miami appears to have an opportunity to hire a veteran leader.
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Unfortunately for the Dolphins, the chances of hiring both players appear slim.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Harbaugh has narrowed his options to three teams with the “insider” to hire the former Ravens coach: the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
The Dolphins have reportedly expressed interest in Harbaugh, but the team’s quarterback situation and salary cap constraints appear to have scared him off.
Landing the newly listed Tomlin is even less likely. Rather than being fired, the longtime Steelers coach resigned after a 19-year winless season. This means that if Tomlin wants to coach in 2026 (which is a big if), the Dolphins may need to trade with Pittsburgh to acquire his rights.
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Kevin Stefanski and Mike McCarthy may be Miami’s most realistic, experienced coaches. But they have much less shine.
Stefanski was a two-time NFL Coach of the Year with the Browns, but ended his tenure with a 45-56 record. Despite his offensive background, which includes seven years coaching the Vikings quarterbacks, he was a 13-start starter in Cleveland.
McCarthy won a Super Bowl but never quite shed his reputation for poor clock management and turned Dallas into three consecutive 12-win seasons into just one playoff win.
Those resumes might be enough for the Dolphins. But even if the Miami Heat covet Stefanski and/or McCarthy, the lackluster roster, lack of a clear answer at quarterback and salary cap turmoil don’t make the team a particularly attractive coaching option. A relatively inexperienced coach replacing McDaniel might be the only answer.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL coaching carousel: Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh unlikely to join Dolphins