The Miami Dolphins are making a major organizational move, as Tom Garfinkel is stepping down as president and CEO.
The Miami Dolphins organization is making a major change. Longtime President and CEO Tom Garfinkel is stepping away from his role after 13 years and is transitioning into being just Vice Chairman of the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, as well as Managing Partner of the Miami Grand Prix.
With Garfinkel stepping down, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is naming his son-in-law, Daniel Sillman, as the new CEO of Ross Sports & Entertainment.
This new role will have Sillman oversee operations for the Dolphins organization. Head coach Jeff Hafley, General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Brandon Shore reporting directly to Sillman.
Sillman has worked alongside Ross over the past 10 years, and the Miami owner announced back in January that he would be succeeded by his son-in-law, instead of selling the team. Ross' wish was to keep the organization as a family-owned operation, and now he has made the move to ensure that has happened.
Ross spoke about Garfinkel's leadership over the past nearly 15 years in an official statement.
"Tom has had one of the most impactful executive tenures in professional sports history," said Stephen Ross, the founder, owner and Executive Chairman of Ross Sports & Entertainment. "When he joined our organization, we envisioned creating a world-class sports and entertainment company that would redefine what was possible for a franchise, a stadium and a community. Together we turned that vision into reality.
Additionally, Ross also spoke about Sillman taking over.
"Danny's deep familiarity with the organization's businesses, combined with his experience building globally recognized sports and media companies, uniquely positions him to lead Ross Sports & Entertainment into its next phase of operation. He understands our culture, our ambitions, and where we're headed, and I have complete confidence in his ability to lead the organization into this new era."
The Dolphins organization is deep within a rebuild, though the players and coaches have not and will not use that term. After former general manager Chris Grier was fired in October 2025, Ross also fired former head coach Mike McDaniel, paving the way for Sullivan and Jeff to take over as general manager and head coach, respectively.
Miami is now set on a journey that may wield more favorable results in 2026. The roster is full of players who may or may not emerge as strong playmakers, but the overall respect that Hafley has garnered already has been well-documented.
With Sillman now heading up operations, it will be interesting to see what kinds of changes he enacts with Sulliva and Hafley.
There is a lot of promise for the future of the organization, and these changes could lead to the Dolphins finally snapping their over 25-year trend of not winning a playoff game. This is the longest in the NFL.
With such massive changes, the Dolphins organization will surely be transformed even more as the weeks and months go on.
