After several days of speculation over his job security following a 7-10 season, the Miami Dolphins made the decision to move on from Head Coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons in South Beach. Despite multiple reports that the enigmatic McDaniel was safe for the time being, owner Stephen Ross concluded that the time to make a change was now.
With that business taken care of, all eyes are now on potential candidates to replace the young offensive mind. There is no shortage of quality candidates in this year's coaching carousel, but one name stands out based on news coming from the Dolphins.
Before firing McDaniel, Miami had all its focus on finding a new General Manager to take over for the fired Chris Grier. One of those candidates just so happens to have ties to the biggest name on the coaching market.: John Harbaugh.
At 6:15 Monday Dolphins announce 6 outside GM candidates for first-round interviews.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) January 8, 2026
At 4:30ish Tuesday John Harbaugh fired by Ravens. At 7:16 Tuesday Dolphins add LAC Assistant GM Chad Alexander to GM interview list.
At 9:20 Wednesday Alexander advances as 1 of 4 to get second…
Miami Dolphins interest in Chargers' Chad Alexander points to a shared interest in John Harbaugh
Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander is a well-respected front office executive, so Miami's interest in him shouldn't be a surprise. But the timing of it, as laid out by Fox News' Armando Salguero, seems to line up with a potential interest in pursuing Harbaugh to be their next HC.
ESPN's Peter Schrager also seems to see the connection, pointing out Harbaugh and Alexander's long history together while in Baltimore.
As of last night, the Miami Dolphins had had no contact with John Harbaugh or his camp, per sources.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) January 8, 2026
I'd expect that to change.
And if you're connecting dots, Chad Alexander (interviewing for Dolphins GM job) has a long history with Harbaugh from their Baltimore days.
It would be a massive shift in philosophy for the Dolphins if they were to bring in Harbaugh, and it's exactly what they need. Sitting on a playoff win drought that has stretched for a quarter century, bringing in a coach with 13 playoff victories and a Super Bowl title is the exact kind of move that can push Miami in the right direction.
Harbaugh will turn 64 during next season, however, so he may not be the true long-term answer that fans may be hoping for. Still, the culture in Miami is in desperate need of a reset, and few coaches in the NFL have a resume stronger in that regard than what the former Ravens HC offers. Things may have ended poorly in Baltimore, but injuries and untimely mishaps can be blamed for many of the problems that plagued them over the past few seasons.
If Harbaugh can bring in the right staff around him, the Dolphins could quickly turn things around with the right moves from the front office. If Alexander does indeed get the job as GM, he will need to navigate the many cap pitfalls Miami has to contend with, but once that is handled, he can start to rebuild this roster into one that Harbaugh can win with.
Only time will tell if Miami can lure him to South Beach, but one thing seems clear: He is their top priority with McDaniel out the door.