Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel after missing playoffs for second season in row | Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins have fired head coach Mike McDaniel after the team missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the end of the season, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of a comprehensive change,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in a statement Thursday.
“I love Mike and want to thank him for his hard work, commitment and the energy he brought to our organization. Mike is an incredibly creative football mind whose passion for the game and its players was evident every day. I wish him and his family the best for the future.”
The move comes as something of a surprise after McDaniel told reporters Monday that he was part of the team’s search for a new general manager.
The Dolphins went 35-33 under McDaniel, reaching the playoffs in his first two seasons but losing in the first round each time. Miami missed the playoffs in 2024 after being eliminated by the Jets in the regular season finale. This season, their playoff hopes ended with a loss to Pittsburgh in Week 15, ensuring that their 25-year playoff drought – the longest streak in the NFL – would continue.
Miami parted ways with longtime general manager Chris Grier in late October and began searching for a new general manager this week. But a disjointed end to the season that saw former first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa on the bench was the final straw for Ross, who decided to move on from McDaniel.
The Yale-educated McDaniel was seen as emblematic of a generation of ambitious young head coaches when he was named by the Dolphins at age 38 in 2022. He had impressed the Dolphins with his work as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and quickly turned around a sputtering Miami offense. In his first season at the helm, the Dolphins finished sixth in total offense and finished first the following season.
However, that momentum stalled and Tagovailoa struggled with injuries and loss of form. On Monday, Taglovailoa said he would be happy to play for a new team next season.
“That would be great,” he said. “I’d be fine with that.”
