Dolphins fire head coach Mike McDaniel after 7-10 season

The Miami Dolphins fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday morning after four seasons.

The Dolphins started the 2025 season with six losses in seven games, fired general manager Chris Grier in October and owner Stephen Ross opted to delay a decision on McDaniel until after the season.

Miami finished with a 7-10 record.

McDaniel, 42, posted a 35-33 record with a pair of postseason appearances in his first two years with the team. He signed a three-year contract extension in August 2024.

The firing of McDaniel represents the eighth NFL coaching change since the conclusion of the regular season.

Per ESPN, the Dolphins have yet to contact former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh about the position. Ross has ties to the Harbaugh family.

Ross met with McDaniel earlier this week to discuss the season before making his decision on Thursday.

“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change,” Ross said in a statement.

“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 his players was evident every day. I wish him and his family the best moving forward.”

Multiple media outlets reported the Dolphins plan to hire a general manager by Friday as the precursor to searching for McDaniel’s successor.

McDaniel issued the following statement later on Thursday:

“Coaching this team and being a part of this great franchise has been the honor of a lifetime. When I took this job, I had a vision of a team that was bonded together and played with passion and energy on the path to winning championships. I gave everything I had for that goal.

“I am disappointed, especially for the fans, that we did not have better results on the field, but I am grateful for every coach, player, and staff member who poured themselves into that vision alongside me. I’m grateful to Stephen Ross for the opportunity he gave me, a little known coach at the time when he hired me. … I love this game, the people and relationships that are a part of it, and I will forever cherish my time in Miami.”

–Field Level Media