The Miami Dolphins have reportedly fired head coach Mike McDaniel.
After weeks and months of speculation, it appears the Miami Dolphins are moving on from Mike McDaniel. Reports have come in stating that the organization has fired the coach after four seasons.
"ESPN Sources: Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel.
"Dolphins owner Stephen Ross met with McDaniel this week to discuss the season. After that meeting and reflection, Ross decided to move on," Adam Schefter wrote on X.
It is not at all shocking that Ross has chosen to move on from McDaniel. Despite reports that he believed his job was safe, it was ultimately up to the Dolphins owner to make the call.
There is a wealth of candidates currently, and additional reports also indicated that the Dolphins had recently contacted the recently fired and former Baltimore Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh.
Conflicting reports also indicated that Harbaugh was not contacted, but there is likely quite a bit of secrecy on the matter. If the Dolphins do want Harbaugh, and the feeling is mutual, they would still need to abide by the Rooney Rule.
The Rooney Rule stipulates that teams must interview women or minority candidates for head coach or executive positions. Thus far, the Dolphins have not interviewed anybody.
Granted, they would have needed to fire McDaniel, which has now happened. Expect Miami to get to work fast to interview potential replacements, as many high-ranking coordinators are already busy with interviews for the multitude of job openings.
With the Dolphins now firing McDaniel, Miami joins the Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, and the New York Giants.
The good news for Miami moving on from McDaniel is that the new head coach and general manager can be hired in tandem to work with one another to create a cohesive plan to help the Dolphins organization escape mediocrity.
Despite McDaniel leading the team to playoff berths, the Dolphins have not won a playoff game in over 25 years.
Ross spoke often about the "status quo" not being acceptable any longer, and firing McDaniel has now proven that he might finally mean that.
The Dolphins organization is now a blank slate, and that could become a big destination for most head coaches and general manager prospects. For now, Miami will now have a much busier offseason ahead.