Miami Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel, becoming eighth NFL team looking for a head coach
By Kyle Feldscher, Frank Nunns OConnell, Jill Martin, Kevin Dotson, Wayne Sterling, CNN
(CNN) — The Miami Dolphins are now looking for a head coach after firing Mike McDaniel on Thursday. The dismissal is the latest of a team leader as NFL franchises look to retool from disappointing seasons.
“After careful evaluation and extensive discussions since the season ended, I have made the decision that our organization is in need of comprehensive change. I informed Mike McDaniel this morning that he has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” said Stephen Ross, the Dolphins’ owner, 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.”
McDaniel, who was as known for his unique personality as he was for his offensive game-planning prowess, went 35-33 in his four seasons as the Dolphins’ head coach. The team made the postseason in 2022 and 2023, losing both playoff games, and disappointed in the last two years as it struggled to take the next step.
“Coaching this team and being a part of this great franchise has been the honor of a lifetime,” McDaniel said in a statement posted on social media by the team.
“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.”
McDaniel’s departure is yet another flashpoint for a team that is facing a turning point. Franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched for the final games of the season, expressed openness to moving onto another team in search of a fresh start in season-ending interviews this week.
Miami becomes the eighth franchise looking for a head coach after six were dismissed following Sunday’s final regular-season games. Earlier this season, the Tennessee Titans (Brian Callahan fired October 13) and New York Giants (Brian Daboll fired November 10) cut ties with their respective head coaches.
Here are the other coaches who have lost their jobs since the regular season wrapped on Sunday:
Ravens fire John Harbaugh
John Harbaugh was dismissed as the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach, the team announced Tuesday.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement.
The Ravens were a preseason favorite to appear in the Super Bowl next month in Santa Clara, California, but the team was eliminated from the postseason Sunday, losing a heartbreaker to divisional rival Pittsburgh Steelers 26-24.
Harbaugh led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title after the 2012 season. Baltimore defeated the San Francisco 49ers, who were coached by his brother, Jim Harbaugh, 34-31, in New Orleans.
“I was hoping for a different kind of message on my last day here, someday, but that day has come today. ? It comes with disappointment certainly, but more with GRATITUDE & APPRECIATION,” Harbaugh said in a statement.
Harbaugh, the winningest coach in franchise history, compiled a 180-113 regular season record and was 13-11 in the postseason. He guided the Ravens to 12 playoff appearances and four AFC title games.
Cardinals fire Jonathan Gannon
Jonathan Gannon was fired Monday after the Arizona Cardinals ended the season with their ninth consecutive loss.
Arizona’s season began on a positive note with a 2-0 start. But it went off the rails, as the team lost 14 of the next 15 games.
In Gannon’s three seasons as head coach, Arizona went 15-36.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort remains at the helm.
Raiders fire Pete Carroll after one season
The Las Vegas Raiders relieved head coach Pete Carroll of his duties Monday after just one season in charge of the team, the franchise confirmed in a statement posted on social media.
Carroll’s reign was not a successful one, as his team went 3-14 in the regular season and, as a result, the Raiders became recipients of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
There will be speculation over whether this job will be the last of his illustrious career in football, as the 74-year-old becomes the oldest head coach in history to ever be relieved of their duties. He had formally coached the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-2023, leading the team to a Super Bowl win in the 2013 season.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement: “We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best. Moving forward, general manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach.
Browns let go of Kevin Stefanski
The Cleveland Browns kicked off the infamous day in the NFL calendar by relieving Kevin Stefanski of head coaching duties after six seasons in charge of the team, the franchise announced in a statement.
Cleveland ended the 2025 regular season with a 5-12 record, finishing bottom of the AFC North for a second consecutive season. Stefanski finished his tenure with the Browns with a 45-56 record.
Stefanski was hired by the organization in 2020 and led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2002 and its first playoff victory in 26 years. He was also a two-time NFL Coach of the Year with the organization in 2020 and 2023, becoming only the 16th coach to win the award multiple times.
“This was a difficult decision and today is a tough day for our organization because of the impact Kevin has had and the deep, meaningful relationships he has built across our building,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement Monday.
“After six seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, I leave with an immense sense of gratitude,” Stefanski said in the statement.
Falcons fire Raheem Morris after two seasons
On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons got a headstart on the rest of the league, announcing the firing of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot.
The move came despite the Falcons finishing the season on a four-game winning streak to end the campaign at 8-9 in a three-way tie atop the NFC South, though the Carolina Panthers won the division through a series of tiebreakers.
A five-game losing skid in the middle of the season doomed Atlanta’s playoff hopes and likely sealed Morris’ and Fontenot’s fates.
Morris served as Falcons head coach for two seasons, finishing with an identical 8-9 record in both campaigns. Fontenot accumulated a 37-48 record in five seasons as the team’s GM.
“I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward,” said Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a team statement.
The team says it will immediately begin concurrent searches to fill both positions.
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