The Miami Dolphins have hit the reset button, parting ways with head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons at the helm. 

His exit makes him the sixth NFL head coach dismissed since the regular season wrapped up on January 4, and the eighth to be let go during the campaign.

Miami limped to a 7–10 finish, their poorest record since a rough 2019 season that produced just five wins. The slide was jarring, especially after early promise under McDaniel, who earned a three-year contract extension in August 2024 following back-to-back playoff trips in his first two seasons as a head coach.

Trouble surfaced quickly in 2025 when the Dolphins stumbled out of the gate, dropping six of their first seven games. That skid prompted owner Stephen Ross to dismiss general manager Chris Grier and cast a long shadow over McDaniel’s future, with Ross opting to wait until the season ended before making a final call.

Now that the year is done, Ross has chosen a full overhaul. Adding intrigue to the next chapter, Ross is known to have connections with the family of John Harbaugh, whose long run as Baltimore Ravens head coach recently ended after the team missed the playoffs. The Dolphins’ next move will be closely watched as the franchise looks to chart a new course.